


Mom's Bookstore [Hansoon/Soonsol]

by joy_infires



Category: SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: Domestic Violence, Eventual Smut, Falling In Love, Fluff, Implied Sexual Content, Insecurities, M/M, Romance, Sexual Content, Smoking, Strangers to Friends to Lovers, ex boyfriends, hansol is a book enthusiast, hansoon, junshua, long fic, past bullying, soonsol, soonyoung is a wannabe bad boy, soonyoung's mom is awesome
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-04
Updated: 2018-08-31
Packaged: 2019-03-26 23:57:14
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 29
Words: 21,748
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13868733
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/joy_infires/pseuds/joy_infires
Summary: Soonyoung's mom is worried about her son. His boyfriend left him and now he just sleeps around with two different boys he doesn't have any feelings for and who aren't a good influence at all. She wants him to meet Hansol, a boy who works at her bookstore. She believes that maybe he could bring the old Soonoyung back....Warning: Slight mentions of underage drinking and violence there will be smut later so I'm rating this MCredit to my sister for the idea!





	1. Chapter 1

Soonyoung came home late on Saturday night. His mother had waited for him in the kitchen and crossed her arms over her chest when she spotted him. Soonyoung gave a sheepish smile and proceeded to grab a coke from the fridge.

"Where were you? It's almost 1am and you didn't even call!" she lectured him. "I'm sorry, Mom. I lost track of time...", he replied. He sat on a chair by the kitchen table across from his mom.

"You haven't answered my question. Where were you?" she demanded. "I was with Seokwon", Soonyoung said with a shrug. "Kang Seokwon? That guy from your grade that bullied you?" Mrs Kwon asked.

"He didn't bully me...we only had a few differences but it's all sorted out now", Soonyoung waved off, a small smirk displaying on his lips. "He broke your wrist and constantly shoved you against lockers", she argued. "And aren't you dating that other guy? Minseok?" "Nah, that isn't serious. And neither is this thing with Seokwon. I don't do dating anymore."

Mrs Kwon would be lying if she said that her son's behavior didn't worry her. He hadn't always been like that. She didn't raise him like that. Soonyoung used to take relationships seriously. And he only had _one_ boyfriend at a time. She hated that Soonyoung slept around with guys that were anything but a good influence. All she wanted was for him to be happy with someone who was good for him.

"What happened to you, Soonyoung? You've become so different since Marcus went back to Ameri-" "This has nothing to do with him, Mom!" Soonyoung interrupted her. He got up and picked his coke up with him. I'm going to bed...", he said. Mrs Kwon sighed when she watched her son leave the kitchen.

Of course, it had something to do with Marcus. Why else would he give up on dating and become like this?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story is so cringey oml...but um...yea here's my longest Soonsol so far


	2. Chapter 2

Soonyoung tried hard to fall asleep but ever since his mom had mentioned Marcus he just couldn't stay still. Of course, he was thinking about him anyway but he didn't think that his mom would figure him out.

He didn't want to think about Marcus anymore. He was done with him. It'd been two months...why would he still think about his ex after such a long time? Soonyoung sighed and rolled to the side. It was time to get that jerk out of his head. He closed his eyes and tried to fall asleep but to no avail. Another sigh escaped his mouth before he climbed out of bed and went back to the kitchen.

His mom wasn't there anymore so he just sat down and placed his head on his folded arms on the table. He should have stayed over at Seokwon's. This way he'd at least be able to distract himself if he needed to.

Soonyoung smirked a bit when he thought about the way tables had turned for him and Seokwon. The other used to bully him after he found out that Soonyoung was gay and dating Marcus who was really popular among girls. 

Soonyoung had to endure tons of humiliation and name-calling; he was shoved against walls and lockers. When he came home with a broken wrist one day his mom managed to get something out of him. She called the school and Kang Seokwon got suspended for two weeks.

He remembered fearing Seokwon's return like crazy. His friends had tried calming him down and offered to protect him but he declined. If Seokwon wanted to kill him he would take it like a man.

So the day of Seokwon's return came and as expected he wanted to see Soonyoung behind the gym after class. It was one of the places he got beaten up a lot. Again, his friends had offered to come with him but he knew that he had to do this alone.

He remembered that Marcus had been really persistent and he'd wanted to protect him at all cost. Nevertheless, Soonyoung went there alone. And to say that it wasn't what he expected at all was an understatement.

When Seokwon approached him he mentally prepared himself for the first punch - but it didn't happen. Instead, Kang Seokwon, the guy who bullied him for being gay, kissed him. Soonyoung backed away immediately.

_"What are you doing?!" he exclaimed. "I'm sorry for how I treated you...I just didn't want to accept my feelings for you", Seokwon said. Soonyoung stared back at him. "I have a boyfriend", he finally said after about a minute of silence. "That Marcus guy, huh? What is it about him?" "I won't discuss my relationship with you!" Soonyoung snapped and turned to walk away._

He hadn't talked to Seokwon until two months ago after Marcus went back to Chicago on short notice. It wasn't really talking, though, it was basically just meaningless sex to get Soonyoung's mind off of things.

If he was honest, he preferred Seokwon over his other 'friend' Minseok who he met a little over a month ago. He liked how he was nothing like the oh-so-cool bully when Soonyoung pinned him to whatever surface they were doing it on and basically fucked his brains out. He never would have thought that it would turn out like this.

Soonyoung closed his eyes and slowly but surely drifted off to sleep. He was too tired to go back to his room so he just got cozy on the kitchen chair.

 


	3. Chapter 3

"Soonyoungie...wake up", Mrs Kwon said softly as she shook her son awake. Soonyoung opened his eyes and blinked a few times before he took in the details of the room. Did he fall asleep here?

"Why are you here? Did you sleep here?" his mom asked. He sat up and stretched his back. "Yeah...I only wanted something to drink but I kind of fell asleep down here, I guess", he said.

"Aren't you sore now? Your back must hurt", she asked. Soonyoung shook his head. "I'm okay", he waved off. "Alright. Do you have any plans today?" He shook his head again.

"Great, then do you want to meet someone I know? He works at my bookstore and he's really nice. He's 18 years old and his name is-" "Mom! What are you trying to do right now?" Soonyoung interrupted his enthusiastic mother.

"I just think that you two would make a very cute couple...", she explained. "Mom, I told you. I don't do dating anymore. If he's hot I'll take him home and if he's good I'll keep him for a while but I'm not going to fall in love ever again!" Soonyoung said sternly. He usually wouldn't talk to his mother like that but he just got annoyed by her attempt of hooking him up all of a sudden.

Soonyoung stood up and walked out of the kitchen, leaving his speechless mother behind. He went to grab his jacket, his keys and his phone before he left the house without a word of goodbye and headed for his car. Maybe he should call Seokwon...

He decided against it for now and just drove around the city for a bit. Many thoughts ran through his head. Most of them were about Marcus. Why did he go back? Did their relationship even mean anything to him? He never gave Soonyoung a proper explanation when they broke up. Was it just because he had been homesick? Or was it because he had been sick of Soonyoung?

"Goddamn, stop thinking about him!" he scolded himself. He pulled over and got his phone out. He should definitely call Seokwon. It was time to distract himself from Marcus.

"Hey, you. Are you free?" Soonyoung asked after the other picked up. "Yeah. Wanna come over?" Seokwon replied. "Sure. I'm on my way" "Alright, see you in a bit", Seokwon said before they both hung up and Soonyoung started the engine of his car again.

It didn't take long for Soonyoung to arrive at Seokwon's one-room apartment. He rang the doorbell and ran a hand through his blonde hair. Seokwon opened the door and pulled Soonyoung in by the wrist.

"Did you miss me so much you had to come back first thing in the morning?" Seokwon teased. Soonyoung smirked and reached into the other's back pockets.

"Lighter?" he asked as he pulled the pack of cigarettes out of one pocket and let his hand linger in the other for a few more seconds than necessary. Seokwon reached up to a shelf next to them and grabbed a lighter.

Soonyoung lit up his cigarette and took the first drag. He usually didn't smoke but sometimes he just needed it. It calmed him down but he wasn't addicted. It was just a little habit that he wasn't proud of.

"So...what brings you here?" Seokwon asked. Soonyoung blew out the smoke from his mouth. "The usual", he replied with a shrug and took another drag. Seokwon chuckled and took the cigarette out of Soonyoung's mouth, taking a drag himself.

They continued sharing the cigarette before the got down to business. Soonyoung liked the faint taste of smoke that lingered in their kiss. He loved how responsive Seokwon was to Soonyoung's lips on his neck and his cold fingers on his heated up skin and how easily he could turn the coolest guy at school into an absolute mess...


	4. Chapter 4

Luckily, Soonyoung's mom didn't bring up the topic of dating anymore for about a week so he forgot all about their previous argument. The holidays were about to start and Soonyoung was going to ask her for a small job in her bookstore. He liked books but lately he just hadn't felt like reading. He hadn't picked up a book ever since Marcus went back to America.

Mrs Kwon was happy to hear that her son wanted to engage into some of his favorite activities again. She wanted Soonyoung to go back to his old self so maybe if he was surrounded by books he'd finally start acting like himself again.

"Alright, you know how everything works around here, right? All you're in charge of is taking inventory and just arranging and displaying the book on the shelves", Mrs Kwon explained on Tuesday, Soonyoung's first day at his mom's bookstore.

"Hansol will help you if you need anything. He's probably in the storage room...", she continued. Soonyoung failed to notice the excited look on her face as he was looking around the spacious store.

"Of course, you can read as much as you like. Hansol does it all the time. I'm sure he's read at least half of the books here...", Mrs Kwon said. Soonyoung just nodded slowly. His mom seemed to like this Hansol guy a lot. For some reason, he didn't want to meet him at all.

"I'm gonna go and get Hansol so you two can get to know each other a little", Mrs Kwon said. Dammit. She shuffled in the direction of the storage room. Soonyoung decided to sit down on the counter next to the cash register. He could use a cigarette but he didn't bring any. If his mom ever found out about that habit she would rip his head off.

Just that moment his mom came back with a guy in tow. He was just about Soonyoung's height but kind of skinnier (not that Soonyoung was fat - it was just that the boy was less muscular). His hair was brown with a little blond in it and he wore huge ass glasses.  _(A/N: Just imagine Vernon in the Q & A video. I'm so bad at describing people...)_

"Soonyoung, this is Hansol. He started working here one and a half months ago. Hansol, this is my son Soonyoung. You two are about the same age. He'll be 19 in June", his mother introduced them with a weird glint in her eyes.

Soonyoung almost facepalmed when he realized that this guy was the one his mom wanted him to meet a while ago. How could she think that he would be Soonyoung's type at all?

"Nice to meet you", Hansol said in a friendly tone. Soonyoung didn't return the smile he gave him. "Uh...I'm looking forward to working with you...I'll be over there if you need any help..." He pointed in the direction of the back corner of the store.

He bowed to Mrs Kwon before he walked away. Soonyoung sneaked a look at the younger's ass. He raised an eyebrow - not bad. "Kwon Soonyoung, I'm just going to pretend I didn't see that!" his mom scolded him. He just grinned sheepishly. "I didn't raise you like that! Be nice to him!" she said. "He's a good kid."

Soonyoung just shrugged and hopped off the counter. "I'm gonna start with the books now...", he said. "Okay. But please, be nice to Hansol when he's talking to you", Mrs. Kwon said with a serious look on her face. "Yeah, yeah...", Soonyoung replied. "Hansol can show you where to get the new books for you to organize", she told him.

"Okay...", Soonyoung answered and headed into the direction Hansol headed into. He found the other in the back corner of the store with a clipboard in his hands and a concentrated look on his face. He was focused on writing something down. "Hey", Soonyoung said, catching Hansol's attention. "What is it?" he asked and pushed his glasses up.

"My mom said that you know where to get the new books...", Soonyoung told him. Hansol nodded and placed his clipboard on a bookshelf. "Follow me", he said. Soonyoung followed Hansol to the storage room. A few cartons stood around and Hansol went to pick one up, making Soonyoung catch another glimpse of his backside.

When Hansol turned around he saw Soonyoung smirk again. "What?" he asked, obviously confused by the older's strange behavior towards him. "Nothing", Soonyoung replied. Hansol handed him the carton. "Well, then...here are the books...", he said and walked out.


	5. Chapter 5

Soonyoung spent a few hours organizing the books. Hansol was in some other corner of the room and he was quite glad about that. He didn't really want much to do with him because he knew that his mother would only freak out and ship it.

But then, much to Soonyoung's dismay, Mrs Kwon ordered Hansol to the counter because she had to go somewhere for a bit. Soonyoung was busy displaying the books near said counter.

"So...are you only here over the holidays?" Hansol questioned after a long, suffocating silence. "Yes", Soonyoung replied. "Do you like books?" "I used to...now I barely read anymore", Soonyoung said without looking up.

Another silence followed but Hansol eventually broke it again. "Your mom talks about you a lot..." That made Soonyoung look up. "What does she have to say about me?" he asked. Hansol shrugged his left shoulder.

"Just that you changed a lot and that she wants you to be happy...", he said. Soonyoung squinted his eyes at him. "What else?" "Nothing...", Hansol replied. He looked away and pretended to look for something in the bookshelf behind him.

"What else did my mother tell you about me?" Soonyoung repeated his question. Hansol still didn't reply which pissed him off big time so he just approached him and spun him around. Hansol's back hit the shelf, hard, causing a few books to fall out. He flinched.

"Listen up, nerd! I don't like you and I most certainly don't like the fact that my mother goes around and talks about my life. You better fucking tell me what she said right now or I swear to god I'm gonna take one of these books and shove it up your ass!" Soonyoung threatened.

Hansol gulped. "She said that she was worried about you because your boyfriend left you and went back to America and that you started hanging out with people who aren't a good influence", he explained. Soonyoung let go of him and backed away.

He couldn't quite believe that his mom would just tell a stranger about his break up. Hansol picked up the fallen books and put them back where they belonged. Soonyoung noticed that he barely used his right arm for that.

"I'm sorry if I offended you...", the younger said quietly. "And I'm not judging or making fun of you if that's what you think", he continued. Soonyoung huffed and went back to his original spot.

When Mrs Kwon came back a little while later neither of them let on that something happened. Of course, she sensed the awkward tension in the air.

Also, Hansol seemed to have a real problem with moving his right arm. Soonyoung noticed that since he slammed the younger against the bookshelf he moved his arm with a lot of caution and he couldn't help but feel a little guilty. He usually wasn't violent but something just snapped earlier. However, letting it out on Hansol wasn't right...


	6. Chapter 6

For around four days Soonyoung and Hansol didn't speak a word with each other. Mrs Kwon was obviously disappointed since she thought that the two of them would get along well. Even when she assigned them to do something together they wouldn't talk at all.

On Friday Mrs Kwon got an idea. "Boys, could you clean up the storage room for me? I wanted to do that for a while now but I'm always too busy and it's too much for one person alone", she said.

The two of them answered with a hesitant 'sure' and immediately got to work. The silence lingered over them in the stuffy room. They didn't even look at each other. It was suffocating so Soonyoung finally spoke up.

"Does your arm still hurt?" he asked. Hansol flinched as he heard the other's voice. "No." "I'm sorry about that...I didn't realize that I-" "Never mind. It wasn't your fault. I had a little bike accident earlier that day so it already hurt a bit...", Hansol explained. Soonyoung noticed Hansol's awkwardness so he quieted down again. They continued cleaning up with the same tension as before.

"Uh...I'm sorry about the other day, too. I understand that you don't want any random guys to know about your love life...", Hansol said out of the blue. Soonyoung looked at him. "It's fine...it's not like you asked her for any kind of information about me", he waved off.

He had overreacted but he still didn't want to like Hansol for some reason. It was just that he thought that he'd actually injured the other and that made him feel guilty. That was all there was to it.

His phone rang in his pocket so he pulled it out and picked up. "Minseok", he said. "Hey, a few guys and I are heading to a party tonight. Wanna come along? I heard there'll be weed", Minseok told him enthusiastically. Soonyoung scrunched up his face. He didn't like drugs, not even soft ones. He was okay with cigarettes and a little alcohol but he had his limits.

"How about we throw our own party at your place tonight?" Soonyoung suggested, making sure that Minseok heard the smirk that creeped onto his face. He noticed Hansol's blush which made his smirk grow even wider. The younger turned away and refocused on cleaning. "Alright. I guess I could get some weed for the two of us too", Minseok agreed. Soonyoung rolled his eyes.

"You know that I won't fuck you when you're high", he clarified. Minseok sighed. "Alright then...I guess I'll be seeing you another time then because I'm going to get high tonight. With or without you", he said before he hung up. "Asshole", Soonyoung mumbled and put his phone away.

"Why are you with him if he's such an asshole?" he heard Hansol mumble. Soonyoung's smirk slowly wandered back onto his face. He slowly approached the younger whose back was still facing him and put his hands onto his hips. Hansol jumped.

Soonyoung made sure to let his breath graze Hansol's neck before he whispered into his ear. "Because the sex is good, that's why." Hansol's breath hitched and he tensed up. He wasn't used to be so close to anyone.

Eventually, he freed himself from Soonyoung's grip and tried to will the blush off his face. He pushed his glasses up his nose and cleared his throat. Soonyoung laughed. "Wanna find out how good it is?" he offered just to fluster Hansol even more. It worked. The younger just fell completely silent, cheeks beet red, and just got back to cleaning.

~

The bookstore was about to close up. Mrs Kwon hoped to see at least a tiny bit of progress in the boys' relationship but all she got was more awkward silence between them. She sighed. Why the heck were teenage boys so difficult?

Soonyoung didn't talk to his mother on the way home. He'd barely talked to her since he found out that she told Hansol stuff about his private life. "Until when are you going to be mad at me?" she asked him, breaking the silence. "I'm not", he replied shortly. "You lie just as bad as your dad does", she commented. Soonyoung sighed. "What did I do to piss you off anyway?" Mrs Kwon questioned.

"Nothing. Listen, can you drop me off here?" Soonyoung switched subjects. "No, young man. First you're going to tell me what's going on with you. I barely recognize you anymore!" Mrs Kwon said sternly. "People change, mom! Deal with it!"

"They do...but not to that extent! I raised you better than this! You're rude, disrespectful and don't think I didn't smell the smoke on your clothes when I washed them! You started sleeping around and you don't talk to me about your feelings anymore...", she scolded him.

"I get that you're growing up and also that your heart got broken but if you don't stop ruining yourself like this then I don't know what to do with you anymore", she finished. "Kick me out then!" Soonyoung suggested. "You know I wouldn't do that! I want to help you, not abandon you. But you have to let me", his mom replied. Soonyoung huffed. "I don't need help!" he said stubbornly.

His mother pulled over to the sidewalk and turned to look at him. "That's what you say. But you do, Soonyoung. Do you think you'll ever be happy by meeting with those boys even though you don't have any feelings for either of them?" she questioned.

"So what? Feelings are fucking overrated. Love ends! Dad and you got divorced too. That proves it, right?" Soonyoung spat. "Whatever...", he said and got out of the car, slamming the door with force. Mrs Kwon didn't know what to do about him. She wasn't ready to give up on him yet and she still hoped that he would come to his senses soon.


	7. Chapter 7

Hansol opened the door to his apartment as quietly as possible. Hopefully, his dad was asleep. The noise of shattering glass came from the living room, telling him that his hopes didn't come true.

"HANSOL!" his father yelled. Hansol sighed and went to the living room where his father lay on the couch. A bunch of bottles stood on the floor and on the small glass table next to him.

"Where were you?" he growled. "At work, dad. One of us has to earn money", Hansol replied. Mr. Choi rose from the couch and grabbed his son by the collar. He reeked of alcohol which made Hansol scrunch up his face. "Watch your mouth you filthy, little...", he trailed off.

He pushed Hansol against the nearby wall and spat on the floor before he walked into the kitchen to get another drink. The pain from earlier this week shot back into his shoulder.

Hansol quickly went back to his room before his father got back. He locked the door and took his shirt off. He stood in front of his mirror, his back facing it as he tried to inspect the purple bruise on his right shoulder blade.

Of course, the bike accident he had told Soonyoung about was a complete lie. It was his father's doing. He would always become aggressive when he was drunk, which was quite often, and let it out on Hansol.

Nobody knew about this. He managed to hide everything well but when Soonyoung shoved him against the shelf his shoulder started hurting again since the injury had been pretty fresh back then. Hansol put his shirt back on and sat down on his bed. He took his glasses off and ruffled his hair.

Soonyoung... The older had been on his mind all day. Ever since their 'moment' in the storage room he wasn't able to think straight anymore. Sure, Soonyoung had been nothing but rude to him since he started working at the bookstore but still. His mom said that he usually wasn't like that...

Hansol sighed. Why did he keep thinking about him? He couldn't possibly like him, right? And even if he did, there was no chance that Soonyoung would ever like him back. He wasn't dating anyone; he was just sleeping around.

He thought about Mrs Kwon's worry for her son. She had told him that Soonyoung's strange behavior started when his now ex-boyfriend Marcus went back to America.

Before, he had apparently been a nice guy with a big heart; a jokester that could cheer you up in no time. Hansol wanted to get to know that person and he knew that his mom hoped that he'd be able to fix Soonyoung's broken heart. Maybe it was worth a try...

~

Soonyoung put his shirt back on and took a glance into the mirror on the wall next to Seokwon's bed. "So...now that you practically became a regular in my bed, have you ever thought about making this official? Us, I mean", Seokwon spoke up from the bed.

Soonyoung turned around to look at him. The other's arms were behind his head and his face showed a wide smirk. "No", Soonyoung replied honestly. "I told you from the start that this is only physical. I have no feelings for you at all", he clarified.

Seokwon huffed. "You're still like that? Fine, then..." "Are you saying that you actually like me?" Soonyoung questioned. Seokwon shrugged. "Is that a problem?" he asked. Soonyoung chuckled. "It might become one for you. I could break your heart", he informed the other. Seokwon didn't answer.

"Do you still see Minseok?" he asked after a minute of silence. "Sure, when he's not too busy getting high", Soonyoung answered. "Why? Wanna come along next time? I'm sure he'd be up for it", he suggested. Seokwon huffed again. Bad mood, much? Soonyoung chuckled again and ran a hand through his hair. "Your loss. I'm outta here", he said and left without sparing Seokwon another glance.

Soonyoung took the long way home. He went through the nearby park and sat down by the lake. He pulled out a pack of cigarettes which he took from Seokwon and lit one. He took a refreshing drag and sighed when he blew the smoke out. He really needed this.

"Smoking is bad, you know?" a voice spoke up. It was dark, except for the moon shining down on the lake so he squinted at the direction the voice came from. Hansol came into his vision and sat down next to him.

"Are you stalking me?" Soonyoung questioned after he took another drag. Hansol chuckled. "I live nearby and I often come here to think. The lake looks amazing when the moon is up", he answered. "Very deep", Soonyoung commented. He took one more drag.

"Sorry, I'm just like that...I guess that's just my inner romantic speaking...I mean...I guess I just read too many books", Hansol stammered. "So I've heard", Soonyoung replied. He held his cigarette out to Hansol but he just shook his head.

"I don't smoke...", he said quietly. Soonyoung laughed. "Good boy", he mocked. Hansol didn't answer. "Do you like working at the bookstore?" the older asked. "I love it. I can read as much as I want and I can recommend stuff to people and I get really excited over that", Hansol replied enthusiastically.

Soonyoung chuckled at that. He couldn't deny that Hansol's excitement was kind of adorable. "I'm glad to hear that. All of my mom's previous employees were losers", he said. "And I'm not? I thought you didn't like me...", Hansol reminded him.

Soonyoung took one last drag from his cigarette before he threw it on the floor and stepped on it. "I guess you're quite okay", he admitted and patted his right shoulder. Hansol flinched but tried to hide it. He failed.

"I'm sorry. Does it still hurt?" Soonyoung questioned, getting a bit concerned at the other's pained expression. "No, it's fine", he lied while his face told a completely different story. "Let me see", Soonyoung demanded.

 


	8. Chapter 8

Hansol's eyes grew wide. Soonyoung wanted to see? "No", he answered and scooted away a little. "Come on, just let me see. It's my fault after all", Soonyoung said stubbornly. "I told you I had an accident with my bike", Hansol replied with the same stubbornness. He didn't look at Soonyoung at all and played with his hands.

"Did you really?" Soonyoung asked slowly. He had a feeling that the younger wasn't quite telling the truth. "Yes...", Hansol said. "I just want to see how bad it is...please, Hansol", Soonyoung pleaded. The younger sighed, before he turned around, his back facing Soonyoung. He riled his shirt up to his neck, exposing the big purple bruise on his shoulder blade.

Even though Soonyoung only had the moonlight, he could see that this bruise was in no way from an accident. It looked like Hansol was either hit with something or pushed against something.

Soonyoung carefully let his index finger trail over the bruise. Hansol winced and moved away. "Who did this? Was it really not just me?" Soonyoung questioned while Hansol let his shirt fall over the injury again. He didn't answer.

"Are you being bullied?" Soonyoung assumed. Hansol shook his head. "Why do you even care? You don't like being asked about your private life so why would I?" he asked. "Because I've been there, that's why. If you're being bullied you have to stand up against it. Or get someone to help you." "It's not that, though...", Hansol clarified.

Soonyoung sighed. He didn't know why he suddenly felt so concerned about Hansol because originally, he didn't even want to care about him at all. "If I tell you, do you promise you won't tell anyone?" Hansol spoke up after a while of silence. "Sure...", Soonyoung replied.

Hansol took a deep breath before he said it out loud: "My dad's an alcoholic. And he takes his anger at himself out on me. He pushed me against the wall and there was a picture hanging there and I hit my shoulder on the huge picture frame."

Another silence followed. Soonyoung wasn't quite sure what to say. "Don't give me that look", Hansol said with a small smile on his face. "What look?" Soonyoung questioned. "You look at me like you're extremely sorry for me...", the younger informed him.

"It okay, really. This doesn't happen very often and as soon as I saved enough money I'm out of there", he added. "But what if something worse happens?" Soonyoung asked. "I'll be fine", Hansol assured him. He was glad that he'd told Soonyoung even though at first he thought that he might not care or make a smartass comment about it.

"I should go home", he said. "He's probably still asleep..." "Wait!" Soonyoung said when Hansol got up and ready to go. "If you don't wanna go back you can always crash at my place", he offered. "My mom wouldn't mind either. I mean, she loves you", he explained. Hansol chuckled. "Does she?" "Enough to want you to be her son-in-law", Soonyoung joked. "Oh, so you have a brother?" Hansol teased, causing the older to laugh.

Spending time with Hansol wasn't that bad after all. Maybe his mother was right; he was a nice guy.

They walked back to Soonyoung's place together. His mom was already asleep when they arrived. He led Hansol up to his room. The younger noticed that the only place to sleep was the bed. Soonyoung saw how Hansol glanced at it.

"We can share it. That's okay for you, right?" he questioned, trying to hide the smirk. Of course, he wasn't going to try anything but sharing a bed was the only solution.

"Yeah, sure. That's okay", Hansol said. Soonyoung grinned and walked over to his closet. He pulled out a shirt and a pair of sweatpants before handing them to Hansol. "You can change in the bathroom next door", he pointed out. Hansol nodded and shuffled out of the room.

Soonyoung got comfortable on the bed while Hansol changed. He couldn't deny that the younger had something to him. He didn't want to say that he liked him...but Hansol actually made him worry and care. That was the first time since Marcus left. He used to be someone who cared about people a lot. But all that flew out of the window when the one person that he really loved and cared about left.

Of course, he also loved and cared about his mother but that was different. She was his mother after all. He had lost faith in true love and had started to believe that caring about people only led to heartbreak. But earlier, he had been genuinely concerned about Hansol's injury. He hadn't even tried to hide that. He had just...cared.

Hansol came back and Soonyoung's eyes widened a little. Without the glasses and his usual (slightly nerdy) clothing style he looked like a completely different person. He still looked a bit nerdy but with Soonyoung's clothes on he also looked...kinda hot.

"What is it? Why are you staring at me?" Hansol asked embarrassedly. "It's nothing", Soonyoung said. "You just look different, that's all." Hansol blushed and walked over to the bed.

Soonyoung scooted over to make some space for him. For some reason, he felt his heartbeat speed up a bit when he threw the blanket over the younger. He reached up to the light switch above his head and closed the light.

 


	9. Chapter 9

The next morning Soonyoung felt comfortably warm when he woke up. He opened his eyes and blinked a few times until he got used to the sunlight. He finally regained his senses and noticed the extra weight on his body.

He looked down and saw that Hansol had cuddled up to him, his head on Soonyoung's chest. Their legs were tangled together and Soonyoung's arm was around Hansol's waist.

Soonyoung's heartbeat picked up again. Hansol looked really cute right now. He found himself staring at the younger for who knows how long until he shifted and opened his eyes. He quickly lifted his head off Soonyoung's chest and took all the warmth with him.

"Sorry...", he said. His morning voice was low and raspy. Soonyoung just waved off, trying to shake off the weird feeling in his stomach. Hansol blushed just like last night.

"Do you want breakfast? Knowing my mom, she's already up and in the kitchen...", the older offered. Hansol nodded and crawled out of bed to follow Soonyoung downstairs.

Mrs Kwon was obviously confused to see Hansol at her house and in Soonyoung's clothes. "Hello, Mrs Kwon", he greeted her shyly. "Hi, Hansol...it's nice to see you here but...why exactly...?" she trailed off and gave her son a confused look.

"We met at the park last night and I offered him to sleep over", he explained with a shrug. "Ah...well okay. Sit down, then. Breakfast is almost done", Mrs Kwon said.

"You know you can tell her too, right? She might be able to help you", Soonyoung whispered only loud enough for Hansol to hear. "I don't want to burden your mom with my problems", he replied without looking at Soonyoung.

"Just think about it", the older said just as his mom set down two plates in front of them. She had prepared scrambled eggs and bacon. "Dig in", she said with a smile.

They ate quietly until Mrs Kwon spoke up. "So...how come you two bonded so quickly?" she asked. "We just kinda met and talked...", Soonyoung said, giving Hansol a look. "Does your father know that you're here?" his mom asked. Hansol shook his head.

"Did anything happen at home?" she questioned. Hansol didn't answer right away. Soonyoung knew his mother well. He knew that she sensed that something was wrong. He just hoped that Hansol wouldn't feel pressured to tell her something.

"No...nothing happened", he lied. Mrs Kwon knew he was lying. She could tell by the look on his face but she knew better than to push it further. "Okay...if you're sure. But you know that you're always welcome here if you need help with anything", she assured him.

Hansol nodded and stared down at his plate. "Actually...", he began. He took a deep breath. "My father...he drinks a lot", he admitted. He looked uncomfortable. It was only natural that he didn't want to talk about this. Soonyoung was glad that he did, though. "Did he hurt you?" Mrs Kwon asked. Hansol only gave her a brief glance that said everything.

"Should I talk to him?" she questioned. "No! No, if you do that I could never go back home!" Hansol said, shaking his head vigorously. "You shouldn't!" Soonyoung spoke up. "I have to. Where else would I go?" Hansol replied. They looked at each other for a good 10 seconds.

"Now, now, let's not rush anything. For now you can stay here. I'll go and try to talk to your dad and if I get the impression that you're not safe there then we'll see", Mrs. Kwon explained. "Okay...", Hansol gave in.

Mrs Kwon left the house after she cleaned up. Soonyoung and Hansol went to the living room and got comfortable on the couch. "I didn't want to burden you and your mom like that", Hansol said quietly. "You're not burdening us. We just don't want you to get hurt", Soonyoung assured him.

"I lived with him for years. I won't get hurt", Hansol argued. "I'd rather not take any chances", Soonyoung mumbled. "Honestly, why do you care all of a sudden?" the younger questioned. It didn't sound accusing or anything, just curious. Soonyoung shrugged.

"I really don't know...", he said. "Maybe the old me is coming back...", he mumbled. "I'd like that...the old you seems nice", Hansol commented. Soonyoung shook his head. "The old me is just a blind idiot..."


	10. Chapter 10

"I don't think that's true. Why is the old you a blind idiot?" Hansol said. Soonyoung chuckled bitterly. "It is true..." "Only because you got your heart broken doesn't mean you're an idiot", Hansol said, assuming that was what Soonyoung talked about. "Then what am I?" Soonyoung questioned. "Human."

Hansol was right. Soonyoung knew that he was right. But that didn't mean that he was ready to admit it. "I don't know...I just don't want to be that person anymore", he said.

Hansol hummed in thought. "Are you happy with the person you are now?" he questioned. Soonyoung thought about that for a while. "No", he replied. "But if I go back to myself then I'll end up like I did two and a half months ago..."

"You don't know that. People aren't all the same. Not everyone is going to be an asshole to you only because that guy was..." Soonyoung sighed. "That's the worst part. He wasn't even an asshole. He just left...", he explained. "Everything was fine. We didn't have a fight or anything and then one day he just calls me from the fucking airport and says that he's sorry but he has to go back", he continued.

He still remembered the sound of Marcus' voice on the other side of the phone. It was like he didn't really care that he left Soonyoung behind. He didn't sound regretful or sorry at all.

His trail of thoughts was interrupted by Hansol who wrapped his arms around him. Usually, he would have pushed him away and told him to fuck off or maybe he would have tried to get into his pants at this point. But it seemed like Hansol was about to change him back to his old self just like that. Instead of pushing him off, he returned the hug.

"You looked like you needed it. My mom always told me that a warm hug can be all you need to feel better...", Hansol said and pulled back.

"Where...is your mom?" Soonyoung asked carefully. Hansol smiled sadly. "She left my dad six years ago...that's the reason he started drinking so much. She said she met a rich doctor from London so she went there with him. They got married and started a new family. I have one picture she sent me when her daughter turned one year old. Since then I haven't heard from her", he explained.

Soonyoung felt bad for him. How could a mom just leave her own child behind? "But I'm over it...", Hansol added. It wasn't convincing so Soonyoung returned the favor and just hugged him. "Maybe you need this too", he mumbled after a while.

They heard the front door open and pulled away from each other. Mrs Kwon came into the living room around a minute later. "Everything okay, mom?" Soonyoung asked. She sat down in an armchair and sighed.

"I don't know", she said before she addressed Hansol. "Your dad wasn't there." Hansol furrowed his brows in confusion. "That's weird. He never goes anywhere...I'm sure he hasn't left the house in at least two months", he said.

"Well he wasn't there but maybe he'll be back tonight. Anyway, you can stay here until I talk to him. Is that okay?" she asked. Hansol nodded. "Thank you, Mrs Kwon."

Since it was Sunday they didn't have to work at the store today so Hansol and Soonyoung spent the day on the couch, playing video games, talking and just getting to know each other.

~

"You called your teacher a homophobic bitch?" Hansol asked in disbelief. Soonyoung nodded. "She always cracked low key gay jokes and one time she gave me an F for nothing. When I asked her why she did that she mumbled F for faggot and that just did it..." he told the younger.

"What happened then?" Hansol questioned. "I told my dad. And then he went to the principal along with my mom." "So she got fired?" Soonyoung shook his head. "I got expelled for disrespecting a teacher", he corrected. "That school was shit. But then we moved to Seoul and it got better", he added.

Hansol hummed in thought. "My parents don't even know that I'm gay. Mom left before I even knew and dad...hm, I'd rather not make him more angry that he already is every time he sees me", he said.

"How come your dad is like that to you? You haven't done anything wrong, right?" Soonyoung asked. "I think it's because I look a lot like my mom...I'm probably a constant reminder of the woman that left him...", Hansol explained.

"Boys, lunch is ready", Mrs Kwon called from the kitchen. Soonyoung looked at the clock. It was already 1:30pm. The two of them hadn't even realized that so much time had passed since breakfast. They headed to the kitchen and sat down.

"Do you two have any plans for today?" Mrs Kwon asked them. "No, not really", Hansol said. Soonyoung was just about to say no as well when his phone rang.

"Not at the table, Soonyoung", his mom warned. "I'll make it quick", Soonyoung said and picked up. "Seokwon", he said. "Hey, wanna come over? I'm bored", Seokwon asked. Soonyoung looked at his mom and then at Hansol.

"No, not today...", he declined. "Are you with Minseok right now?" Seokwon questioned bitterly. "I'm not with Minseok but I still don't have time for you", Soonyoung said. "Fine", Seokwon replied and hung up without further words. Soonyoung put his phone away.

"You can go if you like. I mean, you don't have to spend time with me", Hansol mumbled. Soonyoung grinned at the younger. "I want to stay here. I'm not dating him after all. He can live without me", he said.

His mother was pleased that Soonyoung didn't abandon Hansol to go to Kang Seokwon but she still wished that he would completely stop hanging around with him and Minseok.

She smiled at the sight of her son with Hansol. "I ship it", she mumbled under her breath. "What did you say?" Soonyoung asked. "Nothing. Now eat before it gets cold", she demanded.


	11. Chapter 11

The next day they all went back to the bookstore. Soonyoung and Hansol spent all day yesterday just lazing around. Mrs Kwon had tried to reach Hansol's dad again but to no avail.

"You look good in my clothes", Soonyoung spoke up, when they were back in the storage room, continuing to clean it. Hansol chuckled at the compliment. "Don't get too used to it! I'm going back home today", he informed the older.

Soonyoung lowered the duster and looked at Hansol. "You what?" "I have to go back. Even my dad will worry eventually", the younger said and reached up to dust off a shelf. He winced and put his arm back down. "You're not even able to move your arm properly. What if something like that happens again?" Soonyoung questioned.

"One more day?" he suggested. "What will change if I stay one more day?" Hansol asked, now dusting off the shelf with his left arm. Soonyoung stepped closer and wrapped his arms around Hansol's waist. The backhug surprised the younger. He dropped his duster, frozen and unable to say anything. Soonyoung's head rested on Hansol's left shoulder.

"It would calm me down a little...and you just look so good in my clothes", he repeated his earlier compliment. Hansol gulped. "Fine...", he gave in. Soonyoung didn't let go though. "Uh..." "You're warm...", he explained.

"Well, uh...the average internal temperature of the human body is 37.0 degrees Celsius...that's 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit. Though it varies among individuals...", Hansol said awkwardly. He knew that he was blushing.

Soonyoung chuckled and let go. "Man, you really are a smart one, huh?" he teased. "I'm not...I just know stuff", Hansol replied. He turned around and finally looked at Soonyoung again.

"What else do you know about the human body?" Soonyoung asked casually, trying not to laugh at the younger's flustered expression. "I'm just kidding", he said. Hansol's face was beet red. It was just downright adorable. "Let's finish this", Soonyoung said and picked up Hansol's duster for him.

They finally managed to clean everything. Hansol got over his embarrassment from before and began joking around with Soonyoung again. But no matter what, he couldn't shake off the tingly feeling the older's backhug had left behind.

It was just like the last time Soonyoung got close to him in here. And of course he also hadn't forgotten yesterday morning when he woke up to find himself snuggled up to Soonyoung...in his bed.

He still wasn't sure if that meant that he liked the older. After all, he'd never even had a boyfriend. He was scared of people's reactions and he never found anybody whom he really liked enough to even try getting over his fear with.

But Soonyoung just did something to him. He just wasn't sure if he should allow himself to like him. Sure, he saw another side of Soonyoung but did that mean that he would just stop sleeping around? Hansol figured that Soonyoung would never like him back. He was probably still in love with that Marcus guy and that's why he tried to drown his feelings in sex.

"Hansol? You okay?" Soonyoung questioned and waved his hand in front of his face. "Yeah...I just spaced out", Hansol said. "Alright, then let's get out of here. Mom said we can go and get some food for our lunch break", Soonyoung informed him. The younger followed him out of the store and together they went to a nearby chicken place.

"Do you also know the body temperature of chicken?" Soonyoung joked. Hansol shoved him playfully. "Will you just shut up about that?" he asked, chuckling lightly. "What? I'm just trying to educate myself...", Soonyoung replied innocently. Hansol laughed. "Of course", he said.

~

They ordered some chicken and went back to the store where Mrs Kwon just closed up for the next one and a half hours. "Ah, there you two are. Come on, let's sit", she said and pointed at a picnic blanket in front of the counter.

"Do you two have any plans for the next days?" Mrs Kwon asked during lunch. They both shook their heads. "Well, Hansol wants to go back home tomorrow", Soonyoung said. His mom looked at Hansol. "Sweetie, do you think that's a good idea? I still didn't get a chance to talk to your dad", she said.

Hansol shrugged. "I think it's inevitable..." "At least take Soonyoung with you. Just to calm down my nerves", she suggested. Hansol looked over at Soonyoung who nodded silently. "Okay, I'll do that."

~

After lunch the hours passed quickly until they called it a day and closed up. "I'll wait outside", Hansol said to Mrs Kwon and Soonyoung. The two of them nodded and Hansol walked out of the store.

"Well, if that isn't Soonyoung's new 'boyfriend' an unfamiliar voice spoke up. A tall, muscular guy walked up to him. He looked angry for some reason. Hansol didn't know who he was but he was obviously somehow acquainted with Soonyoung.

"What do you want?" "Oh, nothing, fag", the guy said. Hansol had never been called that word before since nobody even knew about his sexuality, except for Soonyoung and Mrs Kwon, that is.

The guy laughed at Hansol's lack of reply. "What, did I hurt your feelings?" he asked. "I don't quite get what you want from me...", Hansol said, trying to sound calm. In reality, he was slightly intimidated by the tall stranger.

The guy grabbed him by the collar. "I just don't like your face, that's all!" he growled and pushed Hansol to the ground with force. Of course, he fell and hit his right shoulder on the hard pavement. The pain felt a hundred times worse than last time.

"Are you gonna cry for your mom now?" he questioned. Hansol sat up holding his arm. "Yah! Kang Seokwon!" Soonyoung's voice shouted from the entrance of the bookstore. The guy, Seokwon, looked over at him and grinned. "I was just teaching that little faggot here a lesson", he said. Soonyoung walked over to Hansol and crouched down next to him. "Are you okay?" he asked. Hansol only nodded.

"What the fuck is your problem? What did he do to you?" Soonyoung questioned after he got up and faced Seokwon again. "Nothing. He's just in my way, that's all...", Seokwon replied with a lazy smirk on his face.

"And why the fuck would you call him a faggot? Are you seriously giving him shit about that when you're always such a slut for me?" Soonyoung snapped with a raised eyebrow. Seokwon's face darkened but Soonyoung wasn't scared of him like he was a few months ago.

"You better watch what you're saying, Kwon!" "Or what?" the other asked in a challenging tone. Seokwon made an indefinable noise before he rushed forward and punched Soonyoung right in the face.

Hansol still sat on the floor, wide eyed and frozen. He watched Soonyoung take another punch. "Stop it!" he shouted and finally got up. Seokwon pushed Soonyoung to the floor just like he did with Hansol earlier.

And just then Mrs Kwon came out. "Okay, we're all se- Soonyoung!" she exclaimed when he saw her son get up from the floor, clutching his wrist. He managed to punch Seokwon in the face with his left hand.

"Stop it now, you two!" Mrs. Kwon shouted. Seokwon finally spotted her and decided to back off. He shot Soonyoung one last glare and wiped his bleeding lip before he left, bumping Hansol out of the way in the process which caused even more pain to erupt in his shoulder.  
  
"What the hell happened?" "I saw him attack Hansol so I stepped in...", Soonyoung explained to his still shocked mom.

"Your wrist!" Hansol exclaimed. He took Soonyoung's hand and examined his wrist. It was bruised and swollen like a golf ball. "It looks like it's broken", he stated. "What about your shoulder, though?" Soonyoung asked, ignoring the throbbing pain in his wrist. "It's fine, really", Hansol said.

Soonyoung noticed the cold sweat on Hansol's forehead. He figured that the younger was in a lot of pain and just trying to act brave.

"I'm taking you both to the hospital right now!" Mrs Kwon said. She looked angry. Hansol and Soonyoung knew that she wouldn't take no for an answer. They all headed to the car and Mrs Kwon drove them to a nearby hospital.

"Is your arm okay?" Soonyoung asked halfway through the car ride. Hansol nodded even though the older could see that he was clearly trying to hide his pain. He wasn't moving his arm at all so Soonyoung assumed that it was pretty bad.

"Can I see?" he asked. "Alright...but be careful...", Hansol said and turned in his seat just enough for Soonyoung to be able to lift his shirt up to his shoulders. The bruise was way bigger than last time. It had an aggressive shade of purple and it just looked downright painful. "Holy shit", Soonyoung mumbled.

"Does it look that bad?" Hansol asked as Soonyoung let his shirt fall over his back again. "It does...", he replied. "It never really got a chance to heal. Instead, it worsened...", Hansol stated. "And this time was the worst...", he added.

"Have you seen a doctor because of this?" Mrs Kwon asked from the driver's seat. "No, I didn't think it'd get this bad...", Hansol admitted. "Well, we're getting this checked up in a bit. Let's hope it's not too serious", she replied. 


	12. Chapter 12

A while later the three of them sat in the waiting room of the hospital. Soonyoung's wrist had swollen up even more and neither of them really dared to look at it.

"By the way...", Hansol suddenly spoke up. "The average body temperature of a chicken is around 40 to 41 degrees Celcius..." The mention of their earlier joke made Soonyoung laugh a little. "You actually know that?" he asked. Hansol grinned sheepishly.

Mrs Kwon just silently watched the two boys. It was amazing how Hansol managed to bring Soonyoung's old self back in such short time. She really hoped that her son would let him in because those two could really work out and Soonyoung could actually be happy again.

Finally, the two of them got their checkups. Soonyoung's wrist was obviously broken. It was also the same wrist that Seokwon had already broken a while ago. A cast was put on it and he was told that he had to keep it on for around six weeks. He received some mild painkillers in case he couldn't sleep at night.

Hansol had a broken shoulder blade. He was prescribed pain medications as well and his shoulder was immobilized in a sling. The doctors said to put ice on the shoulder for the swelling when he got home. Luckily, surgery wasn't needed.

On the way home Mrs. Kwon kept rambling on about how she'd sue Seokwon for hurting Hansol and 'her little baby'. Hansol chuckled at the nickname she gave her son, earning a playful glare from Soonyoung who then tried to calm his mother down a little.

"Mom, it's okay...let's not take this too far...", Soonyoung tried. "HE was the one who took it too far, Soonyoung. That's the second time in one year that you got your wrist broken!" she said furiously. "I know. But suing him won't help me...he'll get expelled and he'll take it out on someone else", he replied.

"Calm down first, mom. We can still decide what to do...", he added. She just huffed and said nothing. She hated seeing her son hurt and she wanted to make Seokwon stand up for his actions.

They arrived at home around 10 minutes later. "You two rest while I make us some food", Mrs Kwon said and shuffled to the kitchen. "She's probably going to let her anger out in there...", Soonyoung said. "I'm going to get you some ice for your shoulder", he added and followed his mom to the kitchen.

He got an ice pack from the freezer and a kitchen towel from one of the drawers. He grinned at his mom who was busy preparing the food before he headed to the living room where Hansol sat on the couch. Soonyoung sat down next to him. "Do you want me to cool your shoulder?" he asked.

Hansol blushed a little but nodded anyway. He turned his back to Soonyoung and took his shirt off hesitantly. The older wrapped the towel around the ice pack and carefully put it on the bruise. Hansol winced at the cold.

"I'm sorry he attacked you", Soonyoung spoke up after a few moments of silence. "Who even was that guy anyway?" Hansol questioned. "He is...or more like he was someone I occasionally spent time with...", Soonyoung said and shrugged even though Hansol couldn't see it.

"So he's one of your play toys", Hansol stated. "Well, I guess you could say that...it just sounds kinda weird", the older replied. "And I don't get why he suddenly went after you..." "He probably saw us together and assumed things. I think he's jealous", Hansol suggested. Soonyoung remembered that Seokwon mentioned his feelings to Soonyoung before but he never took it seriously. Hansol was right. "That might be it", Soonyoung muttered.

"Anyway, I'm not mad at you because of that. It wasn't your fault", Hansol assured him. "But I could have prevented your shoulder from getting worse if I came outside earlier", Soonyoung replied.

Hansol waved off. "It's not that bad." "It's broken!" Soonyoung exclaimed. Hansol shrugged (which was followed by another wince). "See? Not that bad, my ass", Soonyoung said. "That too...", Hansol mumbled under his breath. Soonyoung caught the hint and grinned at the cheeky comment. 


	13. Chapter 13

The next day they got ready to pay Hansol's dad a visit. Mrs Kwon wanted to come along but Soonyoung convinced her that they would be fine alone. She insisted on driving them, though so that's what she did.

Hansol looked kinda nervous when they neared his house. Soonyoung noticed and put his hand over Hansol's comfortingly. Mrs Kwon saw it in the rearview mirror and tried her best not to fangirl about it. 

Finally, they arrived at the apartment building. "Are you sure that you don't want me to come along?" Mrs Kwon asked. "I'm sure. Thank you for letting me stay at your place for so long", Hansol answered. "Anytime, sweetie", she said.

Soonyoung followed Hansol inside and upstairs. "Here goes nothing", the younger said before he unlocked the front door. It was absolutely silent. "Maybe he's asleep...", Hansol assumed. He walked into the living room with Soonyoung right behind him.

"Where did everything go?" Hansol asked and looked around. The living room was empty except for a wrecked couch and a few empty shelves. "Do you think this place got robbed?" Soonyoung questioned, following Hansol into the kitchen. "I don't think that anything here was valuable enough to steal...", he replied.

He checked every room until he reached his own. "Everything is still here...", he stated. Soonyoung took a look around Hansol's room. "There's something on your pillow", he pointed out. Hansol walked over to his bed and picked the piece of paper up.

"It's a note from my dad", he said and sat down on his bed. Soonyoung took a seat next to him. _"I can't take care of you. I'm leaving town. Don't follow..."_ , Hansol read out loud.

Soonyoung looked at the note. It was scribbled down heartlessly without much thought or effort. "He left me behind...what am I supposed to do now? I can't pay the rent for this alone and shit...how can he just-" "Hey, calm down. It's going to be okay", Soonyoung comforted him. He placed his hand on the younger's thigh and looked at him.

"How? I'm an eighteen-year-old high school student with a mini job. I'm going to have to quit school...", Hansol kept on rambling. "Nobody's going to quit school! My mom won't let that happen. You can live with us", Soonyoung assured him. "That would be too burdensome for your mom. I don't want to be a-"

Soonyoung didn't let him finish, instead he leaned in and connected their lips. It just came over him and it seemed like the only way to get Hansol to calm down a little. If he was honest, he wanted to do this for quite a while now. Hansol was confused by the sudden action at first but after a short while he returned the kiss.

"Now, will you just shut up? You're everything but a burden", Soonyoung said after he pulled back. Hansol just stared back at him, blushing at how close their faces still were. "And besides, I like having you around...", the older added.

"Do you mean that?" Hansol asked. Soonyoung smiled and nodded. "I mean it. Come on, let's pack your stuff. I'm just gonna get my mom first", he said. "Alright...", Hansol replied.

Mrs Kwon still waited outside. Soonyoung approached her car and leaned down to face her through her open car window. "Everything okay?" she asked, confused that her son was back so early.

"Hansol's father is gone. He took everything with him, except for Hansol's stuff...", Soonyoung informed her. "What? Are you serious?" Mrs Kwon asked and immediately got out of the car.

"I told Hansol to pack his stuff and move in with us", Soonyoung said. "Alright, then let's go and help him. This is really unbelievable...what kind of parent would just...", she trailed off.

They walked back to the building. On the way upstairs Soonyoung spoke up: "By the way, mom. I wanted to apologize for my behavior the other day. Like, when I yelled at you and stuff..." Mrs Kwon waved off.

"I'm not mad. We all have our downs sometimes. I'm just glad that you finally seem to feel better", she said. "You wouldn't ever leave me behind, right?" She stopped walking and faced her son.

"I would never do that! You're my son and I love you. I'm never going to abandon you for anything or anyone, okay?" Soonyoung nodded and his mom stepped forward and hugged him.

She was glad to see that even though her son had acted so tough over the past months, he was still mama's little boy.

~

Hansol sat on his bed when Soonyoung and his mom came in. He had a box on his lap and stared at a picture that he held in his hands. "Hey, you okay?" Soonyoung asked and sat down next to him again. The younger nodded but kept staring at the picture.

It was an old family picture. A smaller version of Hansol sat between two young, smiling adults. He wore blue shorts with suspenders and a white shirt. He had a big teddy on his lap. It was incredibly cute.

"That's the only picture I have with both of them. My dad burned all the other ones after she left. And now he left too...and he took my savings with him...", Hansol said. Mrs Kwon sat on Hansol's other side and patted his good shoulder comfortingly.

Neither her nor Soonyoung knew what to say. They were shocked that Hansol's father didn't only leave him behind but also took his money.

Hansol stayed silent and the three of them just sat there until Soonyoung stood up. "Do you have a suitcase?" he asked. Hansol finally looked up from the picture and stood up as well. "Under the bed", he answered. Soonyoung bent down to pull a big, black suitcase from under the bed. "Let's start packing and then go home..."


	14. Chapter 14

The three of them spent almost the whole afternoon packing Hansol's stuff. It took a while due to his and Soonyoung's injuries but eventually they had everything set up in the guest room at the Kwon's place.

"There's a guest room here and you still had me sleeping in your bed?" Hansol asked Soonyoung with a raised eyebrow. The older grinned sheepishly.

"Oops...must have slipped my mind", he said innocently. Hansol laughed. The sound made Soonyoung feel somewhat happy. He realized that he didn't like it when Hansol wasn't laughing.

He sat down on Hansol's new bed. "I told you before...you're warm", he finally explained. The younger chuckled before sitting down as well. "Hey...about earlier... What did that mean?" Hansol suddenly asked, getting serious again. He was referring to the kiss.

"I'm not sure", Soonyoung said. They locked eyes. "All I know is that I liked it...and that maybe, if you let me...I'd like to do it again...often", he added, leaning closer to Hansol. He didn't seem to mind.

"Boys, the food is ready", Mrs Kwon shouted from downstairs. They backed away from each other. Soonyoung grinned again and got up from the bed. Hansol followed. As Soonyoung was about to leave the room the younger grabbed his good wrist and spun him around. He kissed Soonyoung before he could react.

"I hope you meant what you said because I'm not going to be the next Seokwon", he clarified after he pulled back. "You're not going to be...I think I really like you. I don't know how you did it but...", he trailed off.

Hansol grinned at him. "Does that mean you'll stop being a wannabe bad boy?" he asked. "Hey, what do you mean by that?" Soonyoung questioned with an innocent expression on his face. Hansol laughed again. "Let's go downstairs", he said. Soonyoung reached for his hand.

Mrs Kwon smiled brightly when she saw her son holding hands with Hansol. "Is that why you're only coming down now?" she asked. "Did I...what is it called again? Cockblock you?" "Mom, never ever say that again oh my god!" Soonyoung exclaimed. Hansol just laughed.

He felt at home here. More than he ever did back at his old place. This family seemed so complete even with only one parent. Soonyoung was lucky to have a mother like Mrs Kwon and Hansol was lucky to have the chance to stay with them. He felt wanted.

"Sorry, sorry...I'm just happy for you two", she said. "Now, sit down. It's been a long day. You two need to eat", she added. "It's not like we had chicken a few hours ago", Soonyoung mumbled under his breath but still sat down.

After dinner they went back upstairs. This time they headed to Soonyoung's room. "I never thanked you for standing up for me", Hansol suddenly spoke up. They both sat on the bed, cross-legged and leaning against the headboard.

"It's fine. I should have kicked his ass way sooner...", Soonyoung waved off. "And I will once this heals...", he continued and held his casted hand up. "Don't do that. He's not worth it", Hansol said. "He went too far this time. It was okay when he still only bullied me but now..."

"Wait, that guy was your bully? How come you two ever...?" Hansol trailed off. He knew that Soonyoung was bullied in the past because he'd mentioned the other night in the park. However, he never thought that bully was one of his fuckbuddies.

Soonyoung chuckled. "A while ago he broke my wrist and got suspended for two weeks. When he came back I thought he'd kill me but instead he confessed to me. I rejected him because I was with Marcus at that time. But when Marcus left I went to him to relieve my anger...", he explained.

"And what about the other one?" Hansol questioned. "I met Minseok at a party that I went to with Seokwon. I got drunk and well...", he trailed off. "I decided to keep things up with both of them because they managed to distract me. But I don't need them anymore." "Am I your distraction now?" Hansol asked.

"No. I don't think that I need to be distracted anymore. I don't have any feelings left for Marcus", Soonyoung said, causing the younger to smile.

"And you know what..." He got up and walked over to where his jacket hung over his chair. He took his cigarettes out of the pocket and threw them out of the open window. "I also don't need these. Smoking is a nasty habit that I only picked up because of those losers."

Hansol's smile grew. Soonyoung re-joined him on the bed. He lay on his back and opened his arms for the younger to cuddle up to him. "Seems like you're just what I needed. Who knows what stupid shit I would have gotten myself into if it weren't for you", he mumbled as he wrapped his arm around Hansol's waist. "Who knew that you were such a sap?" the younger teased.

Soonyoung chuckled and playfully pinched Hansol's side, causing the latter to let out a squeak. The older wrapped his other arm around him too and pulled him on top of him carefully in order not to hurt his shoulder. He took off the younger's glasses before Hansol leaned closer and captured Soonyoung's lips.

He propped a bit of his weight onto his good arm. Soonyoung placed his hand on Hansol's back and let it wander up to his neck only to curl in his soft blond-ish brown hair. The younger let out a content sigh.

A knock was heard on the door before Mrs. Kwon stepped in with a stack of clothes. "Oh, oops! I'm sorry", she said. She placed the clothes down on a dresser near the door. Hansol blushed and hid his face in Soonyoung's chest. "Don't mind me. I'm leaving. Use protection!" she advised before she shuffled out of the room.

"She's so embarrassing sometimes", Soonyoung said. Hansol slowly lifted his face up again. His cheeks were red and he didn't dare to look at Soonyoung. He rolled off of him and covered his face with his hands.

The older chuckled and took one of his hands away to intertwine their fingers. "We'll never hear the end of that. We better lock the door next time", he stated. Hansol blushed an even deeper shade of red at Soonyoung's words.

 


	15. Chapter 15

A week passed. Soonyoung and Hansol stayed at home most of the time because Mrs Kwon insisted that they should rest, especially Hansol. One morning she told them that she found someone who would fill in at the store so that she wouldn't be alone with all the work.

"Mr Shin is very nice and I'm sure he'll take good care of the store", she explained to them. "How old is this Mr Shin guy?" Soonyoung questioned. "Around my age, I think. Why?" "Can you trust him?" Soonyoung asked. Mrs Kwon laughed and ruffled his hair.

"It's cute that you worry about me, Soonyoungie but I'm a grown woman. I can take care of myself and Mr Shin is a good man", she assured him. "Just asking", he mumbled.

"I'm leaving now, okay? Take care, you two. If you're hungry, food's in the fridge. I'll be back at seven", she informed them. "We know how long you work, mom", Soonyoung pointed out. She waved off and walked out with a: "See you later, boys. Love you."

Hansol and Soonyoung shared a look. "Is it just me or was she acting a little weird just now?" the older asked. "Definitely weird...", Hansol agreed. "Come on...", he said and pulled Soonyoung upstairs.

It was safe to say that Hansol didn't really use his guest room. He felt way more comfy snuggled up to Soonyoung at night. The older didn't mind either. He just had to be extra careful in order not to accidently hurt Hansol's shoulder.

Even now they headed to Soonyoung's room. "I'm still tired", Hansol said and waited until his boyfriend got comfortable before he joined him on the bed and snuggled up to him as usual.

"We're such lazy fucks it's unbelievable", Soonyoung stated in an amused tone. Hansol chuckled. "I think we should at least make something of our free time", he said.

Soonyoung shifted a little. "That's true...", he agreed. "So, you wanna go back to sleep?" Hansol hummed in thought before he shook his head. "I just wanna cuddle", he said. Soonyoung laughed and placed a kiss on his forehead before he pulled him closer with both his arms around him protectively.

"I think I'm in love with you...", he muttered. Hansol looked up at him. "What did you just say?" he asked to make sure that he heard correctly. Soonyoung closed the small distance between their faces to give Hansol a small, chaste kiss.

"I said: I think I'm in love with you", Soonyoung clarified with a sincere tone as he stared deeply into Hansol's beautiful doe eyes. The younger smiled at his words. It was the first time someone ever said that to him. He finally understood why people in movies sometimes started crying when they heard those three little words. He felt like crying himself but he managed to swallow the urge.

An indescribable warmth spread inside of him and he felt like he was about to explode. "I think I'm in love with you too", he finally said. "I still don't know what exactly you did to me", Soonyoung stated. "But I like it." Hansol buried his face in the crook of Soonyoung's neck. "Me too", he answered. 

The doorbell rang, causing them to sit up. Soonyoung pouted at the loss of comfort. He got up and went downstairs with Hansol in tow since he didn't want to let go of him just yet.

He opened the door to find a taller boy standing in front of him with a sheepish grin on his face. "Hi Soonyoung", he said. The latter's eyes had widened the moment he saw the raven haired boy.

"What are you doing here, Marcus?" he questioned. "I'm back. I missed you. Can you give me another chance?"

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know, I know...they fell in love waaay to quickly. Believe me, I'm cringing...
> 
> The story was originally supposed to end here n there was gonna be a sequel but I cancelled the idea and instead made the fic 60 chapters long...I'm crazy...
> 
> I hope y'all are still here despite the horrible cringe :D


	16. Chapter 16

Soonyoung stared at the person on his doorstep with wide eyes. "What are you doing here, Marcus?" he questioned. "I'm back. I missed you. Can you give me another chance?" the raven haired boy asked. Soonyoung felt Hansol's grip on his hand tighten.

"Are you kidding me? You left me months ago without a proper explanation and now you want me back? Do you think I'm that easy? Fuck off, Marcus!" Soonyoung snapped. Marcus just chuckled. "I think you're overreacting. I was just going back because I felt homesick. I still love you", he explained.

"You still left me, asshole!" "I didn't know when and if I was coming back...", Marcus said, ignoring the insult thrown at him. "So you thought you could put me in the storage room and get me out when you're back? I don't think so. I didn't wait for you! I'm with Hansol now", Soonyoung informed him and pulled on the younger's hand so that Marcus could see him properly.

Marcus looked at Hansol. "Aha, well...nice to meet you", he said with an obviously fake smile. Hansol didn't say anything in return. "Leave, Marcus. You're not welcome here!" Soonyoung spat. Marcus grinned and raised his hands in defeat. "Fine, if you wanna play like that. Don't think I'm giving up that easily", he said. "I'm not the one playing here!"

Soonyoung slammed the door and let go of Hansol's hand. "Are you okay?" the younger asked carefully. "I don't know...", he replied. Seeing Marcus on his doorstep was the last thing he expected to happen, especially now that he finally allowed himself to have feelings for somebody again.

"I can't believe he's here", he mumbled, more to himself than to Hansol. The younger didn't know what to say. He couldn't really tell how Soonyoung felt about the return of his ex-boyfriend. He seemed angry...but would it stay that way? What if he forgave Marcus and wanted to be with him instead?

"Do you...uh, wanna be alone or something?" Hansol asked carefully. Soonyoung looked at him and shook his head. "No, I'd rather not", he said.


	17. Chapter 17

Two weeks had passed since Marcus came back. Mrs Kwon was not amused when she heard the news. She didn't want the boy around that broke her son's heart.

The last six weeks of school began. Since Hansol and Soonyoung went to different schools they didn't get to spend their mornings together anymore which annoyed them but it couldn't really be helped.

~

"Hey, man. I haven't heard from you over the holidays. Is everything okay?" Soonyoung's close friend Jisoo greeted him when he sat down when he sat down next to him in the classroom.

"Yep, everything's just fine", Soonyoung said. "Are you sure? You seemed really down after what happened with Marcus...and, well...are you still seeing Seokwon and Minseok?" Jisoo asked.

Soonyoung grinned at his friend. "I'm not. In fact, I'm dating someone", he said excitedly. Jisoo's face lit up. "Really? Who?" he questioned. He was glad to see that his friend was happy again and he definitely wanted details.

Soonyoung told Jisoo everything about how he met Hansol at his mom's store, about how he didn't like him at first but changed his mind, about the 'showdown' with Seokwon and about Hansol moving in with him and his mom due to personal reasons. He didn't want to tell Hansol's story without permission but Jisoo wasn't a nosy person so he understood.

"Also...Marcus is-" Just that moment none other than Marcus himself entered the room, sparing Soonyoung the explanation. He sat down on his old spot next to Jisoo and grinned at the other two. "What's new?"

"What are you doing here?" Jisoo asked. "I get that question a lot. I'm officially back. Isn't that great?" Marcus replied before he turned his attention to Soonyoung. "So, where's that boyfriend of yours, babe?" "Don't call me that! Hansol doesn't go here", Soonyoung snapped. Marcus raised an eyebrow.

"Are you still mad? I said I was sorry", he said and leaned back in his chair. "No, you didn't. You just showed up and expected me to take you back like nothing happened!" Soonyoung spat and jumped up from his chair.

He couldn't stand being in the same room as Marcus so he left. He decided to flee to the rooftop. It was always a place he always went to when he needed to get his head straight again. Why was Marcus so persistent when he seemed to want to get rid of Soonyoung four months ago?

Soonyoung pulled out his phone and decided to text Hansol. He chuckled when he figured that his little nerd probably turned his phone of at school. He sat down by the edge of the roof and just let his feet dangle around freely.


	18. Chapter 18

After a short nap on the rooftop, Soonyoung decided to pay Hansol's school a visit. He managed to escape his own without getting caught by any teachers or other students. He entered his car and drove across town to Hansol's school with music blasting through the speakers.

He soon arrived at the public school his boyfriend went to. The break must have just started as many students were outside, talking or getting a few snacks. Soonyoung spotted Hansol coming out of the building with two guys. One of them was tall and blonde while the other was a bit shorter and had red hair.

He grinned at the thought of surprising his boyfriend like that and got out of the car. Hansol spotted him halfway across the school yard. "Soonyoung!" he exclaimed and left his friends behind to walk over to him.

"Why are you here? Did something happen?" he questioned. Soonyoung only smiled and shook his head before engulfing him in a hug and pressing a small kiss onto his neck. "I just missed you", he mumbled. Hansol chuckled and returned the hug. "You would have seen me in about five hours", he informed Soonyoung who only grumbled.

"Don't you have class?" Hansol asked. Soonyoung pulled back and rested his hands on the younger's hips. "I skipped...Marcus is back at my school and I couldn't stand him so I left", he admitted. "Oh...uh...", Hansol stammered.

"Are you going to keep being rude or do you perhaps want to introduce the guy who seems to be your boyfriend to us?" Hansol's friends had caught up with him. They both smirked at their friend who had failed to tell them about both, his sexuality and his love life.

Hansol blushed. "Sorry guys...I didn't really know how to tell you...", he apologized. The red-head who had spoken up earlier waved off. "I have awesome gay-dar, you know. I knew", he said. "Now tell us who he is", he continued. Hansol chuckled at his bubbly friend.

"That's Soonyoung. He's the son of my boss", he said. "And those two are my incredibly nosy but awesome friends Jun and Seungkwan", he told his boyfriend. "I love how you didn't introduce me as awesome...", Soonyoung joked and pinched Hansol's side, causing him to squirm before pinching him back.

"You two are adorable! Why didn't you tell us earlier?" Seungkwan whined and slapped Hansol's arm – the left one. He had filled them in on the broken shoulder blade after all even though he didn't really give any details as to how it had happened. "That's not important anymore. Now we know", Jun said. "True", Seungkwan agreed. "Anyway, I ship it!" The bell rang, cutting their conversation short.

"I gotta go back to class!" Hansol said to Soonyoung who only pouted at him. "Don't look at me like that I'm not skipping class!" "You could, though. We have history next and then we have that one teacher that never checks attendance for the rest of the day", Jun informed him.

Hansol looked at his blonde friend with wide eyes. "Are you encouraging me to skip school?" he asked. Jun smirked and nodded. "It's only one day and the school year ends in less than two months anyway. You can't go through your high school life without skipping at least one day of school", he explained matter-of-factly.

Hansol sighed. He had to admit that he didn't really want to sit through the next few hours of school. And spending the day with Soonyoung was a nice alternative. "Fine. Let's go", he said. Soonyoung's face lit up and he gave Jun a grateful look. Hansol grabbed his boyfriend's hand and led him to the car.

"Do you want to go home or...?" Hansol questioned. Soonyoung started his car. "I was thinking we could go to a diner and have pancakes. Like, a date", he replied. Hansol smiled. "Sounds good", he agreed. 

 


	19. Chapter 19

The diner was almost empty when the two of them arrived there. They found a table in a quiet corner. A waitress arrived to take their orders. "We'll have pancakes with lots of syrup please", Soonyoung said. The waitress noted their order down and left without sparing them another glance.

"Do you do that often?" Hansol asked. "Yeah", Soonyoung replied. "But I haven't been here in a while", he added. Hansol nodded slowly. "Are you going to be okay with Marcus back in the country?" he switched subjects. "I think so...I was just a little surprised to see him at school. I think I'll be able to ignore him", the older said.

"Running away wasn't very mature, huh?" he added, chuckling at himself. Hansol took his hand across the table. "I probably would have done the same...don't let him get to you", he said comfortingly. Soonyoung smiled at him. He was just about to say something when the waitress came back with their pancakes.

"Is it okay for you, though? It must be weird to meet my ex...", Soonyoung asked when the waitress was gone. Hansol shrugged. "I'll manage. I don't like the fact that he wants you back but I can't really do anything about that. I can't beat him up and tell him to stay away from you, can I?" Hansol replied. Soonyoung chuckled. "I bet you could take him in a fight", he said encouragingly which caused the younger to laugh. "As long as you pay my hospital bill", he joked.

~

After their little brunch they just drove around town a bit, listening to music and enjoying each other's presence. "What's next? Are we getting a tattoo?" Hansol joked. The older looked at him weirdly. "Isn't that what you bad boy school skippers do?" Soonyoung laughed. "I think you've watched too many movies. But if you want to get a tattoo...", he trailed off.

"No, thank you", Hansol declined, laughing as well. "Do you have one?" he questioned his boyfriend who raised his eyebrows suggestively. "You gotta find that out by yourself!" he teased.

~

Eventually they went home where Mrs Kwon surprised them. "Mom, what are you already doing here?" Soonyoung asked her. It was just around the time after school ended. She wasn't supposed to be back for another three or four hours. She grinned. "I came home early. Mr Shin offered to take a look at our broken freezer...", she explained. Her son raised his eyebrows. He hadn't even known that the freezer was broken.

"He is here?" he asked. Mr Shin was the man, who now worked at Mrs Kwon's bookstore because she didn't want Soonyoung and Hansol to work due to the injuries they got a few weeks ago. Neither of them had actually met the guy before. "Yes, he is", Mrs Kwon answered her son's question. "Can we meet him?"

"He's staying for lunch, so yes", Mrs Kwon said. "How about you two go upstairs first and I'll call you when the food is ready", she suggested. Soonyoung would rather have met that Mr Shin guy right now but just as he was about to protest Hansol dragged him upstairs by his hand.

"What is it?" he asked his boyfriend as soon as they were in the older's room. "Nothing..." "Are you sure? You don't seem to be very happy about that whole Mr Shin situation", Hansol stated.

"I'm not...I don't even know the guy and now he's eating at our place?" Soonyoung asked. He had a strange feeling in his gut. "Maybe he's really nice. And your mom said he was fixing the freezer...", Hansol said. "The freezer was just fine yesterday evening...", Soonyoung said with an exaggerated pout that made Hansol laugh.

"Wow, you're actually a little bit cute when you're pouting", he teased. "I'm always cute!" Soonyoung said defensively. "Meh...I don't know", Hansol said. Soonyoung poked the younger's side once, twice before full-on tickling him. "Take that back", he fake-threatened.

Hansol laughed. "Never!" he exclaimed in-between pants and giggles. Soonyoung continued to tickle him until he had cornered him and he fell over on the older's bed. "Ow", he said and sat up.

"I'm sorry. Is your shoulder okay? Did I hurt you?" Soonyoung questioned, immediately getting worried. He'd almost forgotten his broken shoulder blade, especially since his own injury had gotten a lot better.

"It's fine. It was just a little sting. I fell on a soft surface so stop giving me that worried look...", Hansol said and looked up at him. Soonyoung leaned down to kiss him. "Sorry", he mumbled against his lips.

"Boys, lunch's ready", Soonyoung's mom called from downstairs. Hansol smiled and pecked his boyfriend's lips one more time before getting up. "Now, off to meet Mr Shin", he said, causing Soonyoung to mumble a bemused "yay". 


	20. Chapter 20

Mr Shin turned out to be a friendly-looking, middle aged man with round glasses. He had an apron over his jeans and T-Shirt and smiled a friendly smile when Soonyoung and Hansol entered the kitchen. Soonyoung hated him...'

Mrs Kwon spoke up: "Daejung, this is my son Soonyoung and his boyfriend Hansol who lives with us." Mr Shin, Daejung as Mrs Kwon referred to him, smiled even brighter. "I've heard a lot about you two. Nice to meet you. I hope we'll get along well", he said.

Soonyoung didn't say anything while Hansol bowed to him. "Nice to meet you too", he said politely. Mr Shin laughed. "Now, now. There's no need to be so formal. Let's eat, shall we?" he suggested cheerfully and took his apron off.

They all sat down at the kitchen table and began to eat wordlessly. Soonyoung still had a weird feeling about that guy and how his mother acted around him.

"I think it's time to announce something", Mrs Kwon suddenly spoke up, halfway through the meal. Mr Shin looked at her. "I thought we were going to wait until dinner", he said. Soonyoung huffed only loud enough for Hansol to hear. So that guy was planning to stay until dinner? His mom grinned. "I know but I'm really excited to tell them", she replied.

Soonyoung put his chopsticks down and raised his eyebrows. "Tell us what?" he asked. Mrs Kwon looked at her son. "Daejung and I have something important to tell you", she said.

"We are getting married!" she exclaimed. A pause followed. Soonyoung expected a "SIKE" to follow...but it didn't happen. "You're what?" he finally reacted. This was certainly not what he had expected. He feared to hear that his mom and Mr Shin were dating but an engagement?!

"You barely know him! And neither do I! He started working at your store like 3 weeks ago and now you're engaged?" he raged. Hansol tried to calm him down by taking his hand but Soonyoung pulled away and got up. "Your divorce wasn't even a fucking year ago..."

He stormed upstairs and slammed his door shut after entering his room. He let out a frustrated sigh. He really didn't like this guy and he found such an early engagement more than suspicious. He started rummaging through his desk's drawers. It was times like these where he just fell back into habit and craved a cigarette. Luckily, he had a spare pack which he found in one of those drawers last week.

He found it, got one cigarette out and lit it up with the lighter that was also in the box. "I thought you quit smoking..." Soonyoung turned around at the sound of his boyfriend's voice. He hadn't even heard him come in. "I'm stressed..." _**(A/N: Ironically, I wrote this while listening to the chorus of Taeyeon's 'Stress').**_ "You're angry", Hansol corrected him.

Soonyoung took his first real drag in three weeks. "Call it what you want. I need this now...", he said. "Because your mom is getting married?" the younger questioned. "To a stranger! Without even telling me that she's dating someone and only 10 months after getting a divorce from my dad!" Soonyoung yelled.

"Well, while you're here, drowning in self-pity, smoking that thing, your mom is downstairs crying her eyes out because of you!" Hansol snapped at him. "I get it, okay? My mom remarried too and on top of that she left me behind! Your mom wouldn't do that and still, all you care about is yourself. How can you be so selfish?"

Hansol didn't give him a chance to answer but instead turned on his heel and left the room. He heard the guest room door shut. He cursed at himself and took another drag. His mom was crying and his boyfriend was mad at him. He should apologize to both of them but instead he finished his cigarette, trying to calm down first before he did or said more stupid things. 


	21. Chapter 21

Soonyoung left his room 10 minutes later and went downstairs. His mother still sat at the kitchen table. Her eyes were puffy and her hair was a bit ruffled. Soonyoung immediately felt bad for his behavior.

"Mom", he spoke up. She looked up at him and quickly wiped her face. "Soonyoung", she said with a thick voice that made him feel even guiltier. "Where's Mr Shin?" he asked when he noticed that his mom was alone. "In the bathroom", she replied. Soonyoung sat across from her. "I'm sorry about earlier...I shouldn't have talked to you like this", he said. She sniffled.

"I'm selfish, aren't I? Not even one year since your dad and I divorced...", she said. "No, I'm the selfish one. I'm sorry. Bringing dad up wasn't fair...I was just surprised", Soonyoung explained. "It did come a bit suddenly...", his mom admitted. "Despite that, it was wrong of me to react like that. Hansol was right. I'm ignorant...I shouldn't stand in your way but support you. I'll just need a little time to adapt to the change..." he said.

She smiled and nodded. They both got up and hugged. Suddenly she smelled his shirt and looked at him. "Did you smoke?" she questioned accusingly. "Sorry...I'll get rid of the habit. Hansol probably hates me for that right now...", he said.

"Did you two have a fight?" his mom asked. Soonyoung nodded. "Something like that. He was right about everything he said, though. I acted like an idiot." "Then what are you doing down here? Go and apologize to him!" Mrs Kwon said and ushered him outside and up the stairs.

~

Hansol was reading a book when Soonyoung came in. He didn't look up even when the older cleared his throat to get his attention. He just flipped the page of his book and continued reading like he was alone.

Soonyoung sat on his bed and crawled next to him. Hansol still didn't look at him. "I talked to my mom", he informed the younger. The only response he got was a hum.

Soonyoung pouted before he leaned in and kissed Hansol's cheek. "You were right...", he mumbled, his lips still on Hansol's skin. He moved them to his jaw line. He kissed him again. "I was an asshole..."

He wandered further down to his neck. "And I'm sorry about the cigarettes...", he continued. Hansol finally closed his book. "Is that how you want to get me to stop being mad at you?" he asked. Soonyoung noticed that his boyfriend's voice sounded a little shaky. He smirked against his skin. "Is it working?"

"Maybe...", the younger admitted. "I'm really sorry...", Soonyoung apologized. He turned Hansol's head with two fingers and pulled him in for a real kiss. "Okay, it's working...", the younger admitted. 

"I threw the cigarettes away before I came here...", Soonyoung continued his apology. "Good", Hansol replied. "You're forgiven. I might have overreacted when I said that all you cared about was yourself. I didn't really mean that..." Soonyoung side-hugged him and rested his head on his shoulder. "Thank you", he murmured.

Hansol rested his head on Soonyoung's. "I love you, asshole", he said. Soonyoung smiled at the insult. "I love you too, my little nerd", he replied. "By the way...you're hot when you're angry", he added, earning himself a light slap on his chest. "Shut up..."

 


	22. Chapter 22

They soon fell asleep after they got cuddly on Hansol's barely ever used bed. Mrs Kwon came in after a short knock to tell them that they were going out for dinner in order for the boys to get to know Daejung a little better.

"Wake up, you two", she said softly. Soonyoung opened his eyes first and blinked a few times. "Did we sleep through the afternoon?" he asked with a sleep-filled voice. "It seems so", his mom said. Hansol grumbled before he woke up as well.

"I wanted to tell you two that Daejung is inviting us to a restaurant for dinner. He made a reservation", she informed them. Soonyoung tried his best not to flinch. He still didn't like the idea that his mom wanted to get married but he wanted to support her nonetheless.

"I know what you're thinking, Soonyoung. But maybe you could just give him a chance", Mrs Kwon said, seeing right through her son. "I guess so...", he answered. Mrs Kwon smiled brightly. "Thanks! Get ready, you two", she said and shuffled out of the room. "She seems really happy", Soonyoung stated. "She does...", Hansol agreed and sat up.

"What time is it?" he questioned while rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. Soonyoung looked at his phone. "Almost 8. We slept for like four hours", he said. Hansol stretched his back. "The lack of work really made us lazy. I honestly can't wait to get back to work...", he stated. Soonyoung chuckled at his boyfriend's dedication.

~

They got out of bed and got ready to go out to eat. Soonyoung and Hansol decided to take the older's car instead of riding with Mr Shin's. Soonyoung kept glancing at Hansol throughout the ride. Of course, he noticed. "What?" he questioned, chuckling nervously. "Nothing, you just look nice", Soonyoung replied with a small grin.

"I should probably wear contacts more often", Hansol joked. "I didn't mean it like that. You always look good...but today it's just...", the older trailed off. Hansol laughed. "Well, thanks. You don't look too bad yourself", he replied.

They arrived at the restaurant soon. Soonyoung sighed before getting out of the car. His mom and Mr Shin waited for them by the entrance. Hansol took his hand which seemed to do the trick. Soonyoung's face lit up a little and he stopped frowning.

They all got inside where a waitress led them to their table. "What can I get you?" she asked. The four of them ordered before Hansol excused himself to the bathroom.

"So, Soonyoung. How long have you and Hansol been together?" Mr Shin asked. "It's been about a month", Soonyoung replied, trying not to sound cold for his mother's sake.

"He seems like a good kid", Mr Shin said. "He is", Mrs Kwon agreed. "Even though Soonyoung failed to notice it at first", she added. Her son said nothing. He just wished for Hansol to come back from the bathroom quickly.


	23. Chapter 23

Hansol was washing his hands when he heard someone come in. He didn't really pay them much attention until his name was called: "Hansol. I almost didn't recognize you without your nerdy glasses." Hansol looked into the mirror and saw Marcus standing there. Great. What was he doing here?

Hansol grabbed a paper towel and dried his hands. "Let's not make this awkward, okay?" Marcus said and stepped closer. "I'm not trying to. I just don't have anything to say to you", the younger replied.

Marcus laughed. "Why not? Because I'm Soonyoung's ex?" he asked. "No, because you broke his heart but you still want him back even though he's finally moved on!" "Moved on? With you? A prude little nerd who sucked up to him to the point where he let you move in with him? Please, kid. Soonyoung doesn't do guys like you."

Hansol tried not to show how much Marcus' words hit him. What if he had a point? He wasn't particularly Soonyoung's type, considering the muscular, handsome, dark-haired guys he usually dated. And Soonyoung hadn't really tried to get physically active with him yet, aside from occasional make-out sessions. Maybe he really wasn't attracted to a noodle-armed nerd like him.

"Maybe you should go back to where you came from. Soonyoung is out of your league. You're pitiful for believing that he could love you after he had me and Kang Seokwon...", Marcus said with a smug grin. Hansol pushed past him and left the bathroom without further words.

He tried to put on a smile when he got back and sat down next to Soonyoung. "Sorry I took so long", he apologized. Mr Shin gave him a friendly smile. "That's alright. You didn't miss anything." "Is everything okay, Hansol? You look a little pale. Are you feeling alright?" Mrs Kwon asked. Hansol smiled. "I'm fine, Mrs Kwon, really", he assured her. "Are you sure?" He nodded at her question.

The food came and they continued to have small conversations over dinner. Soonyoung noticed that Hansol was awfully quiet the whole time and only spoke when he was asked something. He nudged the younger. "You okay?" he asked only loud enough for him to hear. Hansol only nodded without really looking at him and continued eating.

Soonyoung had to admit that he was a bit worried about that kind of behavior. Hansol barely said a word the whole evening and during their car ride back home.

~

"Alright, what's up?" Soonyoung demanded when they entered his room. He didn't get an answer. Instead, Hansol pushed him against the door and kissed him before he could even process what was going on.

He kissed his way down over Soonyoung's neck, even leaving a few purple marks here and there. The older was confused but he didn't question it. That is, until Hansol crouched down in front of him and tried to undo his pants.

"Wow, wait, stop!" Soonyoung said and grabbed his boyfriend's wrists. "What are you doing?" he questioned. "I want to get this over with so I can live up to your expectations!" Hansol exclaimed, not looking at Soonyoung but to the side.

The older pulled him up to his feet. He noticed the tears that brimmed in his eyes. "My expectations?" he asked, more than confused to hear those words coming out of his boyfriend's mouth. Hansol let out a small sob and turned away to hide that he was crying.

"What do you mean by that?" Soonyoung drilled. He reached out to take Hansol's hand. Soonyoung turned him back around but Hansol still wasn't looking at him. "Babe, if I did something wrong then tell me", he pleaded.

"It's not you who did something wrong...", Hansol finally said, followed by another sob."It's just that I...", he cut himself off. "Marcus is everything I'm not and it's just a matter of time until you realize that you'd much rather want to be with him instead of...me", he explained.

Soonyoung didn't expect something like that but he was quick to react. He wrapped both his arms around Hansol and hugged him. "That is not true", he said. "It is...Marcus is cool, good-looking, popular and he's...he's the person who's got your heart", Hansol mumbled into the older's shirt.

"Where is all this coming from all of a sudden?" Soonyoung questioned. Hansol pulled back, wiping his tears. "I'm not stupid...you were so in love with Marcus only a few weeks ago. Now he's back and once you get over your anger-" "Stop right there! You really think I would leave you to get back with him?" Hansol shrugged.

"Okay, look at me", Soonyoung demanded. He cupped the younger's face and forced him to look at him. "Marcus might be all those things you named earlier but it was you who fixed my heart after he used it as a doormat! I love you, not him! And I would never leave you. Not for him and not for anybody else!" he explained, trying his best to make Hansol see the sincerenity he felt.

"In fact, if  _you_  ever chose to leave  _me_  for some reason I think I'd die...", Soonyoung said. "You probably thought the same when Marcus left...", Hansol replied. Soonyoung let out a frustrated sigh. He just wanted Hansol to understand.

"It's different with you! If I could I would like to have you around 24/7! I hate being at a different school and it's only been a day – which I skipped only to see you! I don't want to be with Marcus! And I have no idea what made you think all those things but I can assure you that they are bullshit!"


	24. Chapter 24

Soonyoung let go of Hansol but kept up the eye contact. The younger seemed to have calmed down a little. "I'm sorry...", he apologized, still sniffling occasionally. "I just thought that you might grow tired of me if we didn't have sex...like, because of who you've been with before..." "What makes you assume that so suddenly?"

Hansol sighed and sat down on the bed before wiping his face. "Earlier, when I went to the bathroom at the restaurant...I ran into Marcus. He was there and he told me that I didn't suit you because you're out of my league...he also said that you couldn't love me after being with guys like him and Kang Seokwon...", he explained.

Soonyoung finally began to understand. Marcus had intimidated Hansol and that's why he had been so silent. Anger flared inside of him. How could Marcus say that? It made him furious that that guy just decided to show up and mess with everyone's heads. He took a deep breath in order to calm down a little. He then crouched down in front of Hansol.

"Listen, that jerk is trying to break us up because he thinks he's gonna get me back that way. But that's not going to work! And you don't have to feel pressured about having sex. We'll wait until you're ready. I lost my virginity way too early and it's something I regret because I didn't wait for someone I actually liked...", he told the younger.

"Next time don't listen to him...", he added. He rested both hands on Hansol's thighs and pulled himself up to meet Hansol's lips. "I love you, okay?" Hansol only nodded and reconnected their mouths.

~

Soonyoung tried hard not to kill Marcus when he entered the classroom the next day. "Stay away from my boyfriend!" he warned as he passed Marcus' desk. "Did he come crying to you because he couldn't handle the truth?" the other asked with a smug grin.

Soonyoung smashed his hand on the desk with force. "I swear to god, Marcus. If you come near him again I will fucking hurt you! I'm not the same helpless little boy I was before you left!" he warned.

Marcus leaned forward and rested his arms on the desk. "What, you mean since you fucked Kang Seokwon? That doesn't impress me." "You should learn when to stop!" Soonyoung threatened. "Or what?" Marcus questioned.

"Cut it out, you two!" Jisoo, who had been silent all the time, spoke up. "Marcus, you ended things with Soonyoung and he doesn't want you back! You can't always get what you want so back off already!" he said sternly.

Marcus grinned at him. "I think it's just a matter of time until he realizes that his little boy-" He didn't get to finish his sentence as Soonyoung decided to cut him off by punching him right in the face. He pitied the fact that he couldn't use his stronger, right hand as it was still bandaged but his left hand still did the trick.

"KWON SOONYOUNG!" the teacher's voice roared through the classroom. Of course, she had to come in the moment Soonyoung's fist hit Marcus' face. "Detention!" she said angrily. He just shrugged and sat down on his seat while the teacher checked on Marcus.

"How could you hit him?" Jisoo whispered. "He was basically asking for it!" Soonyoung whispered back. "Still...you shouldn't let him get to you. That's what he wants...", his friend advised him. Soonyoung shrugged again. "That was definitely worth it. And I'll do it again if I have to..."

 


	25. Chapter 25

Hansol didn't pay the least bit of attention during class. That was a first. He also had his phone out under the table and was texting with Soonyoung.

"Hansol could you give us the answer, please?" his teacher asked, making him look up. Luckily, he didn't seem to have seen the phone since Hansol sat in a pretty fortunate angle to the teacher's desk. "Uh, excuse me, I didn't catch the question", he replied. The teacher sighed, disappointed that his best student gave such a dissatisfactory answer. "Junhui, do you know?"

Hansol stopped listening the moment the teacher's attention shifted to Jun. He was busy replying to the text Soonyoung had sent him in which he explained why he got detention.

Classes ended eventually and Hansol walked home by himself. He thought of ways to distract himself while he waited for Soonyoung to come home. He was probably just going to finish his book.

"Excuse me...Hansol?" a female voice suddenly spoke up. He turned around to find woman standing there. She was clearly foreign, American to be exact, and Hansol knew her. Even though he hadn't seen her in a long time, he could still point out the similarities in their features.

"Mother?" he asked, not sure if his eyes were working properly. "What are you doing here?" She smiled at him. "I wanted to visit you...it's been way too long. I'm sorry I never...", she trailed off.

Hansol didn't know what was going on right now. How the heck did his mom get here? "It's been six years...", Hansol informed her. "Why now?" She stepped a little closer. "I've been trying to settle down with Andrew and get used to England. And I was scared to see your father after our divorce", she explained. "How has he been doing?"

Hansol lowered his head. "He was miserable. Now he's gone. He left me behind. I have no idea where he went and to be honest, I have no interest in finding out", he answered. His mom gave him a shocked look. "He just left? When?" she questioned. "A few weeks ago", Hansol said. "Where do you live now? On your own?"

Hansol hesitated. He didn't know how his mom would react to him being gay. And it was kind of awkward to come out to your mom after six years of no contact in the middle of the street.

"I have a place to stay...", he said. "Look, I gotta get home..." He turned away. It was overwhelming and completely unexpected to see his mother after such a long time. He had no idea how to deal with the situation. "Wait!" she exclaimed. "Can we talk? I would like to catch up..."

Hansol took a deep breath. That woman, his mother left him behind just like his dad did and now she wanted contact? He wasn't sure if he wanted that...but then again...maybe she was here to stay this time.

"Sure", he finally replied and turned back to see her relieved face. She stepped forward and held her phone out. "Give me your number and I'll call you, okay?" Hansol nodded and typed his number in. He called himself so he had hers as well.

"Do you need a ride home?" she questioned. "No...it's fine. I'll walk", Hansol replied. Before she had the chance to say more he walked away. 


	26. Chapter 26

Soonyoung placed his head on the table in front of him, ready to sleep through his hour of detention when he heard someone enter. So he wasn't alone today. He looked up to see who also got himself detention...

"For real?" he asked, too done to even get angry. Of course, Marcus had found a way to stalk Soonyoung even in detention. He sat down next to his ex and looked at him. "Look, before you freak out again...I wanted to say sorry. I shouldn't have acted like I did and-"

"Marcus! I don't want your damn apology! I want you to leave me – and Hansol – alone", Soonyoung interrupted him. "I know, I fucked up, Soonyoung...I shouldn't have left you", Marcus said. "You did, though. And I'm glad you did because now I'm with Hansol and I'm happy!" the other replied.

"So, he's not just-" "He's more than Seokwon was because that guy was just someone I used to try to get over you! I was an absolute ass after you left. I treated my mom like shit, I treated Hansol like shit...all because YOU broke my damn heart! I don't fucking want you around!" Soonyoung clarified.

"Is there anything I can do for you to forgive me? In a non-romantic way I mean?" Marcus asked. Soonyoung stayed silent for a few moments before he replied: "I don't know. After what you said to Hansol I'm not sure I want someone as manipulative as you close to me and my relationship. You lost my trust. We're over. You're fault, not mine. Let's just leave it alone..." Marcus nodded in understanding. "I guess that's fair. I just want you to know that I'm sorry."

~

The next hour passed without any further words exchanged and Soonyoung was more than glad when it was finally over. He came home to find Hansol pacing around in his room. "What's wrong?" he asked. Hansol stopped in his tracks and faced his boyfriend. The older noticed how shaken up he was. "Did something happen?"

"You could say that...my mom suddenly showed up", he said. Soonyoung's eyes widened. Hansol had told him that his mom moved to London six years ago. "What did she want?" he questioned, unsure of what exactly to say. "She wants to catch up. She said she'd call...but I don't know if I can just sit down with her and have a chat...", the younger said. "I bet she'd understand if you cancelled. She can't expect you to be prepared after so many years. Sit down first, would you? I don't want you to collapse from nervousness"

Hansol did as he was told. Soonyoung sat down next to him. He put his hand on the younger's thigh. "You have a choice in this. Make up your mind. If you want to see her you should but if you can't do it, cancel", he advised him.

Hansol sighed and placed his head on the older's shoulder. How was he supposed to make a decision? On one hand, he missed her and wanted to get to know her again. On the other hand, he felt betrayed. She had left him behind with his father to move to another country and she had only contacted him once.

"If I go...will you come with me? This way I'm less likely to back out", Hansol asked in an almost pleading tone. Soonyoung patted his head and ran his hand through his soft hair. "Sure, babe. If you want me to", he said.

"How's your shoulder doing, by the way?" he asked. He noticed that Hansol used his right arm with more confidence lately. "It's healing pretty well. I have a check-up next week", he answered, his head still on Soonyoung's shoulder. "What about your hand?" "It barely hurts anymore. I can't wait until the cast comes off", Soonyoung said.

"Have you seen Kang Seokwon around lately?" Hansol questioned. The older shook his head. "Not since the incident", he said. "He's probably skipping school. He never gave a fuck anyway. His problem, I don't care...hey, how about we warm up yesterday's dinner? I'm starving", he suggested. Hansol nodded and they both got up from the bed. 


	27. Chapter 27

A week passed without a call from Hansol's mom. He didn't dare to call her because maybe she didn't want to get in touch with him after all. Soonyoung tried to be there for his boyfriend as good as possible. He couldn't really help him, though. He wasn't sure what exactly Hansol's feelings towards his mom were so he didn't know whether to encourage him to call her or help him deal with his mom's lack of interest.

~

Soonyoung sat by Hansol's side while he was getting his check-up. "I think we can take the sling off now. You just have to be a little careful and don't go overboard", the doctor said with a friendly smile. "Alright, thank you", Hansol said, relieved get rid of that sling.

The doctor also looked at Soonyoung's hand. "I think this is also pretty much healed now. I will put a support bandage on but I think you can take it off in about a week", he said. Soonyoung nodded and let the doctor put the bandage on.

On the way out, Hansol's phone rang. When he got it out he stared at it for a few seconds before he picked up. "Hi mom", he said. Soonyoung looked at him and they both stopped walking. He noticed his boyfriend's nervous expression and how he just kept adjusting his glasses.

"Yeah I'm in that area anyway...sure...can I bring someone? ...Alright...okay, see you in a bit." He hung up and looked at Soonyoung. "She wants to meet up today", he said. "She's at a café not too far from here." "Do you want to go?" Soonyoung asked. Hansol nodded. "I had enough time to think this past week and I think I should give her a chance."

Soonyoung smiled encouragingly and took Hansol's hand. Together they went to the café the younger's mom was at. They decided to leave Soonyoung's car behind and walk the short way. The closer they got the more nervous Hansol seemed to get. His grip on Soonyoung's hand tightened.

"Are you sure that you're ready?" Soonyoung asked. Hansol nodded. "I want to talk to her...", he said. They entered the café. Hansol spotted his mom sitting by one of the windows with a cup of coffee in front of her. He let go of Soonyoung's hand.

"She doesn't know yet. I'm going to tell her, don't worry", he explained after Soonyoung gave him a questioning look. The older nodded and followed Hansol to his mom's table.

"Mom", the younger said to get her attention. She looked up at him and smiled. "Ah, Hansol. I'm glad you had time for me", she said and motioned for the two of them to sit down. "You must be the 'someone' Hansol said he'd bring", she addressed Soonyoung who nodded and did a small bow. "My name is Kwon Soonyoung. Nice to meet you", he said politely.

"Nice to meet you, too, Soonyoung. I'm always happy to meet my son's friends." "Uh, actually...", Hansol spoke up again. "Soonyoung isn't my friend." His mom gave him a questioning look.

This was the moment he'd find out if his mom would be cool about it or freak out. Soonyoung took his hand again under the table which Hansol gave him a grateful smile for.

"I wasn't going to start a conversation like this but I want you to know who I am. Soonyoung isn't my friend...but my boyfriend", he told his mom. "Really? Well, that's even better! I remember you being such a shy kid. I thought you'd never bring home a boy", she said, surprising the two.

"Wait, you know? How? I mean...I didn't even know it myself back then...", Hansol questioned, utterly confused. "Instinct...and your big poster of shirtless Lee Donghae that hung on the inside of your wardrobe when you were 12 kind of gave you away", she deadpanned.

Soonyoung raised an amused eyebrow at his blushing boyfriend. "Shirtless poster, huh? Some 12-year-old you were...", he said. "I can't believe you remember that", Hansol mumbled. "I remember a lot more. But we can talk about that later. How have you been?" she switched subjects. "Fine, I guess. Living with dad wasn't really peachy but, well..." Hansol answered, still a bit red from the previous embarrassment.

"Ah...it must have been hard for you..." "It was, to be honest. He became an alcoholic and I was his opportunity to relieve his anger", he admitted. Soonyoung brushed his thumb over the back of Hansol's hand to comfort him as he noticed that he was slightly shaking.

"You mean he hit you?" Hansol's mom asked, shocked and surprised. "Not really. He pushed me around and I'd sometimes get a few little bruises...", he explained. "And I had nobody to go to because you were gone. And a month ago dad just packed his stuff, took all my savings and left town..."

Hansol's mom looked guilty. She never wanted her son to grow up like this. "I'm so sorry...I didn't know it would turn out this bad", she apologized. "It had its good sides. I live at Soonyoung's place now", Hansol said.

"Do you have your own apartment?" she asked Soonyoung. "No, we live with my mom. She originally hired Hansol at her bookstore and she's completely okay with this", he answered.

"I see. Is that how you two met?" she questioned. Hansol nodded, seemingly happy about the change of subject. "Give me some details!" "Uh, well...I worked at his mom's store and Soonyoung came to work there over the holidays so we sort of met...", Hansol told her.

"I'm not quite sure how this happened because he didn't like me at first but somehow we ended up together...I stayed over at his house because he didn't want me to go back to dad and, well...I didn't leave..."

Soonyoung chuckled at his boyfriend's awkward way of explaining their relationship. Hansol's mom seemed to be really happy for them. Soonyoung figured that she could become very good friends with his own fangirl of a mom.

 


	28. Chapter 28

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can't believe I keep abandoning this fic I'm sorry y'all...

"How is your life in England?" Hansol asked his mom. "It's nice. I mostly stay at home and look after the household. And of course, I'm also raising your sister Sophia", she explained.

Hansol froze for a second. The words 'your sister'  sounded weird to him even though he knew about her. "How old is she?" he questioned. "Almost five. She's growing so fast...I have a picture", his mom said and pulled her phone out of her pocket.

She chose a picture in her gallery and held it out to them. It showed a little girl with wavy, almost curly, brown hair. She resembled Hansol a lot, the only difference being her lack of Asian features and the bright blue eyes.

"She's adorable", Hansol said. He hadn't seen a picture of her in years. "She'd really like to meet you one day. I told her about you and she's always bragging about her 'big brother from Korea' to her friends."

Hansol smiled at those words. He never thought that his mother would actually talk about him. He'd felt so abandoned by her since she never even bothered to contact him.

"Hey, you know what? I just realized that I have to head to my friends' house. I'm gonna give you two some time to catch up", Soonyoung said. He felt like he was interrupting their family time.

Hansol gave his mom her phone back and looked at him. "Why, all of a sudden?" he questioned. Soonyoung chuckled. "You don't need me here. Call me later and I'll pick you up, okay?" Hansol pouted a bit. "Okay", he said.

Soonyoung pecked his cheek and got up. "It was nice meeting you", he said to Hansol's mom and did a small bow. "You too, Soonyoung. Take care", she replied.

Soonyoung left the café. "He seems really nice", Hansol's mom said. "He is. And so is his mom. I'm really thankful that I get to live with them", Hansol answered.

"What about his father?" "His parents are divorced but Mrs. Kwon is remarrying soon", he explained. "Ah that's nice." She seemed to think about her next words. "Are you...are you happy here? In Korea I mean..."

Hansol gave her a confused look at the sudden question but he nodded. "I have everything here. My boyfriend, my friends, school...I'm pretty happy", he said. "But...don't you miss your family?" his mom asked.

"I haven't had a family since you left. I got used to it...that is until I met Soonyoung. I guess he is somewhat my family now", Hansol answered, not really sure where this conversation was going. "Do you love Soonyoung?" his mom asked next.

"I do", her son replied without thinking. "What's your point, mom?" "I was just wondering...I'd really like to have you around. So does your sister...would you be willing to come to England with me? Permanently?"

~

Soonyoung walked back to the doctor's office where his car was still parked. He had texted Jisoo and asked if he was free so he was on his way there.

A few streets from Jisoo's house he saw a tall figure lean against a wall with his face buried in his hands. He pulled over and got out of the car.

"Jun?" he asked a little unsure as he had only met Hansol's friend once. The blonde male looked up. "Soonyoung", he said when he recognized the shorter one. His eyed looked a little puffy. "Hey, dude, what's going on?" Soonyoung questioned.

"Nothing...I just wanted to get some fresh air...", Jun said, waving off. "Are you sure? You look a little out of it. Is everything alright?" Soonyoung drilled. "Yeah. It's just the pressure...I needed a study break...don't worry", Jun assured him with a smile.

"Alright...hey I'm heading to my friend's place right now. Would you like to come along?" Soonyoung suggested. "Would that be okay?" Jun asked. "Sure, no problem. As long as you don't mind spending your afternoon with two gay best friends", he joked.

Jun laughed. "I'm used to that. And besides, I'm not the straightest one either. But labels aren't for me so..." Soonyoung grinned at him. "Cool, then let's go..."

 


	29. Chapter 29

Jisoo was a bit surprised (but not opposed) to see Soonyoung with company. "Hi", he greeted them. "Hey. I hope it's okay that I brought Jun along. He's friends with Hansol", the younger explained.

Jisoo smiled at Jun. "I don't mind at all", he said. The tall blonde grinned at him. "I'm Jisoo or Joshua. Whatever's cool with you." Soonyoung couldn't help but smirk as he noticed a certain kind of tension between the two of them. Jisoo seemed to like Jun already. And likewise. He made a good decision by bringing him here.

He knew Jisoo's face when he liked somebody. He could also tell the differece between a platonic or a potential romantic kind of liking. The way he looked at Jun definitely said the latter. Soonyoung approved.

It was about time that his best friend started showing interest in somebody again. It had been around a year since he'd been in a relationship with Choi Seungcheol from their year. Things weren't going well and in the end Seungcheol left him for Lee Jihoon, the president of the music club. Jisoo got over him pretty fast and even started hanging out with Seungcheol and Jihoon occasionally but he had been single ever since.

"What do you guys want to do?" Jisoo questioned as he sat down on his living room couch. Jun sat down next to him which had Soonyoung smirking again. "Anything's fine, really", he said. "In fact, why don't you two decide what to do while I use your bathroom", he added and left the room.

"Is he always this weird?" Jun asked, obviously amused. Jisoo shook his head. "Usually not but who knows what he's up to...", he replied. A short silence followed that Jisoo broke eventually.

"Are you hungry or anything?" "No, I ate already", Jun replied. "Alright...so, is there anything you'd like to do?" Jisoo asked. Jun shrugged. "What are the options?" he questioned. "Well...I have a PlayStation...and music. I'm pretty boring, I guess", Jisoo mumbled, chuckling nervously. "I don't think you're boring, though", Jun admitted confidently.

Jisoo blushed a little but smiled nonetheless. This guy was really cute. Maybe he should get to know him better. Unfortunately, Hong Jisoo wasn't the smoothest guy so he didn't know how without seeming awkward.

"Have you and Soonyoung been friends for long?" Jun questioned, trying to make conversation. "Longer than I can remember. He was the only one who talked to me when I moved to Namyang-ju from America in first grade. Even though we couldn't really understand each other...", Jisoo told Jun. "He was my only friend for a long time so I was lucky that our fathers worked at the same company and both got offset to Seoul at the same time and our families moved here together..."

"It's similar with me and Hansol. He and Seungkwan were the first ones that approached me when I transferred in middle school. I'm from China and I only knew a little Korean back then...they helped me a lot", the blonde told him.

"Maybe we should all do something together one day. I never met Hansol before even though he's my best friend's boyfriend", Jisoo stated, causing Jun to chuckle. "We should do that. Maybe you could give me your number and we could stay in touch", he suggested, mentally praising himself for his smoothness.

Soonyoung came back from the bathroom just as Jisoo and Jun finished exchanging numbers. "I see you're getting along", he said. Jisoo blsuhed again while Jun just grinned. "That's great because I have to go. Hansol just texted me that I can come pick him up", he said. "If you two still want to hang out without me..."

"Sure, I could drive Jun home later...I mean...if you want...", Jisoo said, addressing Jun and hoping that he didn't sound too enthusiastic. He didn't want to make a fool out of himself in front of Jun by sounding overly excited to hang out with him. "Alright, sounds fine by me", he agreed. Soonyoung smirked. He had to remind himself to thank his boyfriend for his timing. "I'll see you two then", he said and left the two others alone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oml guys this fic is kinda badly written...I'm too lazy to edit it tho, so I hope you can still put up with my 2016 bs lol


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